We've come a long way... but where are we going?

As I said in my first post, we all live in the same world. In this world, the distance that separates us diminishes with every new technological advance. We have become increasingly globalized in almost all aspects of life: business, technology, knowledge. No longer do we live isolated in our homes, towns, states, or even our countries. We have the ability and option to be instantly connected to any person from anywhere in the world, enabling us to share our views, interests, experiences, and knowledge on any subject we see fit to divulge.

In this globalized world, marketing has shifted, placing the consumer in the center, the most important component of the market equation. In this age, the internet has proven to be an incredible global tool. A mass amount of information is readily available and people are becoming more and more experienced in how to obtain it. The internet continues to show that it is a great resource for consumers to research, compare and purchase.

Marketers are playing attention, too. Spending ad money on online media has been growing as users themselves change the way they consume media. Internet ad revenue has increased by nearly 27% in one year alone, an incredible shift only projected to increase more as technology and user capability develops.

I have seen throughout my research into global advertising and marketing that the internet is being utilized to reach the consumer in new and innovative ways. The examples of this are endless: Intel has recently decided to put 50% of their total ad budget into online executions; Radiohead and other popular bands have begun releasing albums online first (and sometimes for free!); Google is looking to go to the moon; and just about every new advertising campaign seems to center around an online component of some sort (Absolut Vodka even has a forum where users from around the world can share and discuss their visions of a perfect world). The internet is being utilized to explore the problems facing society today, most notably the environment. Energy company, Chevron, is attempting to shift their negative image as an oil company by creating an online space (their Web site) for all of us living in the global community to collectively brainstorm on how to improve our oil dependency problems. Their campaign, The Power of Human Energy, is all about engaging people about energy issues, while promoting their own alternative energy efforts.

Engaging the audience is extremely important in today's world. Consumers and online users have become engaged, connected and empowered through forums, social networks, and an unlimited amount of online choices. When it comes to media use, we are all extremely connected. The internet has the potential to bring together people from any corner of the planet to trade and share information in a universal platform. New networking sites emerge every day and technology is constantly evolving. Members of any network are connected and have the potential to build relationships with each other. More often then not, social networking serves to increase the strength of businesses and consumers, reinforcing social connections by providing users a platform they utilize to obtain, share, and spread information to peers, consumers and contacts.

Earlier this semester, I attended ADWEEK’s Virtual World’s Conference and heard from keynote speaker John Marcom, senior VP of International Operations for Yahoo, Inc. The biggest thing Marcom stressed was society’s move to a more “consumer in control” way of doing business. The internet and instant connectivity has enabled consumers to voice their opinions and control the content they are exposed to. Companies, he said, are now being created without much thought to advertising, but with more of a focus on personalization. In the online world, the user is front and center

This shift into online, user-centered, globally-connected media can only be explained by looking at who’s using the media, how they are using it and what they are using it for. As a young communications student, I can speak for my generation in saying most of us know how to use the media tools we’ve been given to create or explain ourselves. My generation and those that come after are all about media multi-tasking, balancing more than one message at once. Media is used as a tool to create and express personal identity. Most kids have a myspace or a facebook, which instantly connects them to millions of people all over the world. With these pages they can create, explore or explain their own personal identities through their words, music, videos and pictures. We know how to use the tools, we’ve seen all the different messages that have bombarded us throughout our lives, and now we demand legitimate communication from marketers who work to give us what we want and expect, of course with us as the central focus.

In this new media world, an authentic voice is the most important thing marketers can bring. As consumers become increasingly skilled and willing to search for the perfect products and information they need, brands need to convey real messages with the user’s voice front and center.

With the user central to the message, advertising and marketing executives face the challenge of forming messages around their consumers, revolving advertising goals around what users want, need, or can do.

If companies wish to be global in this market, whatever their methods, they must satisfy the user. As I embark into the marketing world as a college graduate, I see that one thing is clear: information is free-flowing; it is the various media used to obtain this content that is changing. Advertisers must always be looking forward at what their audience is thinking, how they are consuming, and what their next move will be. The internet is a literal “web,” in which we are all connected, engaged, and open to new and diverse information. Taking advantage of the business and advertising opportunities offered through the web will only mean great things as the internet and its capabilities expand in coming years.

Intel Stays Inside: Advertising Within

Computer company Intel has decided to reach consumers within their own product. The familiar "Intel inside" logo will soon be seen more frequently online and less often through traditional media. Intel, along with partners in the "Intel inside" cooperative advertising program, have decided to shift ad dollars to newer media like the Internet and away from older media like television and print.

According to Herald Tribune article, 'Intel inside' ad campaign shifts focus to the Web, in 2008, Intel will require companies that take part in the co-op program to spend a minimum of 35 percent of the advertising money that Intel products them on online marketing. Companies involved in Intel's co-op program include giants like Dell, HP, IBM, Toshiba and Sony.

This seems to make perfect sense, as Intel itself is a computer program. Marketing using the tools of its own product appears as if it will only reinforce the purchase and name of Intel. According to executives at Intel, research shows that consumers are turning more to online media when they consider buying products like those with Intel microprocessors, such as desktop and notebook computers.

"For the longest time, consumers formed their attitudes through TV, print and radio," explains Sean Maloney, an executive vice president at Intel in Santa Clara, California. "In the past year, there appears to be an acceleration of attitude-forming and opinion-forming online, instead of in the traditional media, and we have to respond appropriately."

A survey of how consumers were influenced in their buying decisions conducted by Intel this year shows that three or four our of the top five influences have something to do with online media, including search engines, blogs, and web sites.

TV and print do play a role, according to Maloney, but once researching a purchase, consumers need to be engaged in a deeper way.

As a result of this research, more than 50 percent of Intel's own ads will appear online, an increase from a 15 percent presence two years ago. This is a huge amount as Intel spends about $300 million a year worldwide on its own advertising.

Spending ad money on online media has been growing rapidly as users have changed in the way they consume media. In one year, Internet ad revenue has increased nearly 27 percent. This is an incredible shift in media spending, only projected to increase more as technology and user capability develop. Intel's 35 percent online requirement only reinforces this fact, showing how far online advertising has come.

In an age when the consumer is the most important component of the market equation, the internet is an incredible global tool. A mass amount of information is readily available and people are becoming more and more experienced in how to obtain it. When in the market for a computer, or other Intel products, the internet is a great resource to researching, comparing, and purchasing. Intel has recognized this and taken advantage of it by going exactly where their consumer is and using their own name as a promotion.

From anywhere in the world, consumers and industry meet in this internet market to buy and sell their products. The movement of advertisers into utilizing this media serves to show the world just a small bit of what the internet is capable of. A literal "web," we are all connected, engaged, and open to new and diverse information. Taking advantage of the business and advertising opportunities offered through the internet now will only mean great things as the internet and its capabilities expand in coming years.

Anti-Consumption Campaign 2007

"Black Friday" is a term I'll bet every American is familiar with.The Friday after Thanksgiving, a day when stores happily throw their doors open at ungodly hours of the early morning to swarms of waiting customers anxiously ready to kick start their holiday shopping. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but is the busiest shopping day in the United States. In some cities it is not uncommon to see shoppers lined up hours before the stores holding big sales open. Once inside, shoppers often rush through shoulder-to-shoulder crowds to grab for sale items, snatching up whatever deal they can find.

Personally, I find the concept of this frenzy absurd and hard to grasp. The holiday season and all its messages of peace, love and hope seem to get lost within the long lists of what to buy, what to give and what to get. As soon as Halloween is over, Christmas lights go up, turning the Holidays into one giant commercial.
To fight against this massive commercial pushing the public to consume, consume, consume, Canadian magazine ADBUSTERS has organized International Buy Nothing Day, an annual protest against consumption held globally on November 24th.

According to Tom Liacas, Adbuster's campaign manager, the annual protest is meant to generate discussion about the place of consumerism in our culture and the ethical and ecological ramifications of overconsumption. He adds the sobering fact that the First World makes up only 20 per cent of the world's population, yet consumes 80 per cent of its resources. We accelerate the world's depleting resource crisis by buying things we don't need, he says, calling the Christmas advertising season a "nasty cycle." He's right. The way our economy is set up, corporations need to increase profit -- so, the earlier they advertise, the sooner consumers will hit the stores and open their wallets. People spend more at this time of year then any other, often loading up on gifts because they think that's what Christmas is about.

ADBUSTERS.org explains that Buy Nothing Christmas is not really about refusing to spend a dime over the holiday season. It’s about taking a deep breath and deciding to opt out of the hype‚ the overcrowded malls‚ and the stressful to–do lists. It’s about reminding ourselves to really think about what we are buying‚ why we are buying it‚ and whether we really need it at all.

This thought process is absolutely necessary for everyone to go through before they purchase anything. I can't think of a single person I know who doesn't already have (and freely admit) that they have too much stuff. Yet still, we want more, continuing the cycle of consumption.

To make this movement strong, Adbusters has created a campaign utilizing print, video, word-of-mouth, and the internet to spread their message of anti-consumption. The overall message of the print executions bring attention to the day, yet there is no strong call to action. In the ad pictured (above) the only copy is the name of the ad, the date, and a link to adbusters. I think Adbusters could see more success if readers were faced with the harsh ramifications such consumption can have or at least given a more serious message.

The video advertisements (below) are a bit stronger, calling forth statistics and comparisons regarding the purchases, consumption patterns, and resource use of North Americans (the U.S. and Canada). These commercials, however, have been hard for Adbusters to place. According to their website, year after year Adbusters has tried unsuccessfully to buy airtime from major American networks to get this public service message out. Regarding this years "North American Piggy" PSA, MTV has refused to air the message claiming that the public service video messages are not "appropriate" for their viewers.

Adbusters has also organized various guerrilla tactics aimed at bringing the movement right to consumers. "Credit card cut up" encourages volunteers to stand in a shopping mall with a pair of scissors and a sign offering a simple service: to put an end to extortionate interest rates and mounting debt with one considerate cut. "Whirl-Mart," another tactic, markets itself as most likely to anger security personnel. Those interested are encouraged to silently drive your shopping carts around in a long conga line without actually buying anything.

I find Adbusters suggestions hilarious and different. These are fresh ways to protest against the consumer status quo. Buy Nothing Day is extremely organized and I think it would be great if it could gain more momentum as a campaign, perhaps breaking the pattern of Black Friday consumption. The overall messages of the holiday season seem lost in the frenzy for more stuff. Natural resources are depleting and the reality of it is often obscured by alternate agendas; any messages promoting the reversal of this are welcome in my book.

The first Buy Nothing Day was organized in Vancouver Canada in September 1993 as a day for society to examine the issue of over-consumption. 5 Years later, it was moved to the Friday after American Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, the busiest shopping day in the U.S. Outside of North America, Buy Nothing Day is celebrated on the 24th of every November. The campaign has spread over the years, appearing in over 65 countries including, the U.S., the U.K., Isreal, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, and Norway.

Information in this article came from the Adbusters website, check it out and join the movement.

"Access – Success – Growth"

Access, success and growth are three themes defining FedEx's new advertising campaign launched this week in the UK, France, Germany and India. The campaign, created by BBDO Worldwide, highlights how the global delivery company can help customers access market opportunities and better their business possibilities.

A Marketing Week news article describes FedEx's new push as an aim to show how FedEx can enable companies to "realize potential opportunities - whether those prospects are in their local communities or around the globe."
FedEx wishes their campaign to be seen as a continuation of the company's already strong legacy, while also reinforcing their commitment to delivering an outstanding and consistent experience for costumers all over the world.

The ads are simple, highlighting in both copy and graphic how much FedEx really works for you. With over 280,000 "team members" working to help businesses deliver their products quickly, consistently and with ease. The simple copy explains what the viewer sees occurring on the page: the FedEx team working on the project from the moment the order is placed to the moment it is received by the customer. FedEx is a company that works for you, enabling you to access more customers, generate success, and bring growth and development to your company.

This campaign could not have come at a better time. FedEx is targeting the needs of businesses, stressing their ability to help reach more consumers. The holiday season is a key time for businesses to reach more people, increase their networks, and drive sales home,as almost every one is in the "spirit" of buying more, sending more and growing more. With increased web-use and the ease of the internet over shopping malls and long lines, FedEx is utilizing online shopping and stressing that they are the company best suited to deliver the goods. This campaign also reminds consumers everywhere that FedEx is a reliable and global way to send, a great message to hear at a time when mail deliveries are at their highest.

The initial launch features four print and online executions in multiple languages. In addition to print ads in traditional press, an online campaign will be launched featuring a "behind the scenes" story of the ads. Future advertisements are planned to launch in additional key markets such as Italy, China, Taiwan, Mexico, Japan, and Brazil.

Access more Ads or Experience FedEx for yourself.
Additional information in this article came from FedEx.com

It's not happening here, but it's happening now

Human rights are restricted, lost, or non-existent in almost every corner of the world. This is a bitter reality for so many, and unfortunately a mystery for so many others. We all face these problems collectively, but many are so far distanced from the issues they lack the awareness and compassion necessary for change.

Although this is post does not bring attention to a new advertising campaign, I find the brilliance and message of it too strong to ignore. In Spring 2006, Amnesty International Switzerland, broke a new outdoor campaign using the tag line, "It's not happening here, but it's happening now."

Sobering images of countless human violations are depicted on transparent billboards, showing people what is going on in the world, even if it's not happening in front of them at the bus stop. The ads portray issues happening all over the world, in countries like Iraq, China and Sudan.

With this campaign, Amnesty International has tried to raise awareness and discussion about social issues and additionally called to the importance of working for human rights.

The central mission of Amnesty International is to uncover, document and bring attention to violations of human rights. The hope is that if many people know what is going on in other places, they will collectively become involved and work towards change. There are many different forms of human rights violations, and although all involve different sets of circumstances, one thing remains constant: people are victimized. This campaign names names, showing what really happens in the places we can so easily avoid.

The placement of the images on transparent billboards seems brilliantly strategic, highlighting the lack of transparency regarding world issues today. If you aren't involved or actively searching through the news on a daily basis, it becomes very easy to ignore what's occurring. Amnesty International wants to make the view a little less cloudy. Images of the sad reality many people face on a daily basis may be a bit hard to swallow on the morning commute, but it's an even harder experience for those who are actually living through it. It's a pity this campaign didn't launch globally. The global world may not want to see such stark messages, but this is not the issue. Those who face the sad realities of the world should not be silenced by naivety and ignorance any longer.

If we are moving towards a society where nations are all linked together by a complex web of businesses, networks, and ideas, then surely we need to also be linked through compassion and a desire to help. If more of these advertisements were displayed globally, it would seem impossible to stand at a bus stop and not feel the need to change things in some way.

Make a change, learn what's going on in the world.

Crossing the Border with AT&T

AT&T's new ad campaign features a series of Spanish TV ads targeting Latinos during the holiday season. AT&T hopes to reach this group at a time when they will be reaching out to loved ones with new phones and international calls. The ads are designed to show Hispanic consumers the products and services that will help keep them connected with their families and friends -- especially during the holiday season.

Ads will feature prominent Latino celebrities, including Gloria Estefan, Univision entertainment reporters Raul de Molina and Lili Estefan of the program El Gordo y la Flaca, and mexican actress Angelica Vale, best known for her starring role in the telenovela La Fea Mas Bella.

Each of the ads talks up a different aspect of the AT&T plan, but the two most marketable services offered have to be the AT&T World Connect Mexico calling plan; and AT&T's GoPhone, the pay-as-you-go service that gives consumers the option of purchasing a reload card with a preloaded dollar amount, deducted from an account; or a prepaid plan, similar to most calling services that are billed every month. Both promotions highlight the AT&T's newest feature: roaming capability in Mexico for 99 cents per minute. According to Roberto Garcia, executive director of Hispanic Marketing at AT&T, users can cross the border and use their phone while in Mexico. For people who live and work on the border, traveling back and forth between the United States and Mexico every day, this option is ideal.

I really like what AT&T is doing with international phone capabilities. It's annoying that mobile services doesn't automatically cross national borders, requiring new phone purchases for prolonged travel. AT&T has really reached the Hispanic market by offering a package that enables them to travel, work, and stay connected.
The GoPhone campaign launches on November 15 in key border cities like San Diego, Tucson, and San Antonio.

Information from this article came from this article in Adweek.

Europe Driving the Environmental Ad Movement

If the European Parliament's recent proposal on car advertisements passes, then car ads in countries belonging to the European Union will begin carrying interesting safety warnings. Not about crash-test ratings or airbag effectiveness, these ads will be informing consumers of environmental impact and emission information.

According to NYTimes article, Europe Proposes Warnings for Auto Ads, this plan proposes that 20 percent of the space or time in any auto ad has to be set aside for information regarding fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions -- both contributors to global climate change.

Although the Times points out that Parliament does not hold much real lawmaking power and cannot actually initiate legislation, automakers and their ad agencies are still taking this proposal very seriously. They fear that with more restrictions, advertising for their cars may begin to disappear from the public just as tobacco ads--completely eliminated across Europe-- and junk food ads have.

The European Association of Communications Agencies claims that more than $8.6 billion a year is spent annually on car advertising in Western Europe. Lobbyists against the new proposal feel that, if passed, the new legislation would hurt many, including car makers, ad agencies and media owners.

According to Peta Buscombe, chief executive of the Advertising Association in Britain, Parliament's proposals aim to deter car manufacturers from advertising, which will have a damaging effect on media companies that rely on the ads for revenue.

Buscombe claims that the warnings will probably not have much effect on consumer attitudes, but those in favor of the proposal think labels could make a difference. Chris Davies, a British member of the Parliament, wants to change the message auto ads now seem to be sending, which entice consumers to buy "bigger, faster, more gas-guzzling cars than they need."

With the new legislation, supporters are trying to get car companies to compete based on environmental information about their cars, rather than based on power, speed and appearance.

Examples of environmentally-focused car advertising has been created, seen in the Honda advertisement below. The issue appears to be that only some car companies, like Honda, actually have selling points on this issue, which could potentially hurt makers of large, inefficient cars.

Based on their own terms, the auto industry has pledged to enact voluntary guidelines for car advertising, monitored by industry-financed advertising-standards organizations. This type of regulation has been adopted across Europe in an effort to prevent restrictions on all types of advertising, but the European Parliament claims to have no confidence in the effectiveness of these guidelines.

The truth of the matter is, cars do make a large environmental impact on the world, adding greatly to the acceleration of global climate change. Advertising agencies and car companies claim they are being made a scapegoat in this situation, but all this legislation aims to do is better inform consumers looking to make a more conscious purchase. It seems as if car makers are much more concerned with how these regulations with effect the sales of their "bigger, faster, gas-guzzling" machines.

It's no secret cars harm the environment, so what is wrong with a company being proactive and informing loyal consumers about the impact of their purchases, especially if they are going to be buying the car anyway? Regulations on tobacco and food advertising have definitely had an impact on advertising in the industry, but messages highlighting gas emissions seem completely different then stories relating to black lungs and obese infants. It seems as if the companies most concerned with this legislation are the makers of the big, gas-guzzling vehicles who don't want to spend the money to advertise bad news. In this situation, isn't the more environmentally-friendly car a better decision anyway?

Read more about this topic here.

Anti-Advertising: The push for healthier children

A global push against soft drink companies will be launched in Australia today. The campaign urges all governments to ban soft-drink advertising directed towards children, restrict promotion and sponsorship rules, and to impose a "fitness and nutrition" tax. The "Dump Soda" campaign marks the beginning of a four-day Consumers International Congress, which is represented by a coalition of consumer advocacy and watchdog groups. The congress is focusing their efforts on leading companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, believing that these companies have "flooded the global market with liquid candy," and should be regulated.

As described in Push to Ban Soft Drink Ads for Young, an article in The Sydney Morning Herald, the US Center for Science and Public Interest, along with the International Association of Consumer Food Organizations, Corporate Accountability International, Safe Food International, and various other consumer groups from around the world are joining together. They are all calling for a complete ban on media and merchandising efforts directed at children under age 16.
The organizations are also calling for more responsibility from soft-drink companies, suggesting that they be forced to allocate money (through taxes and sponsorships) that will be used towards government funded nutrition education programs or fruit and vegetable subsidies.

The main focus of the conference is to establish more universal regulation when it comes to advertising towards children. The current level of government control differs between countries, but most are moving towards a system that limits the advertising of unhealthy foods towards children.

Coca-Cola has accused the campaign and its organizers of playing a blame game, aiming their efforts at an easy target. In their defense, Coca-Cola stopped promoting its products to children under age 12 in 2000 and has also voluntarily withdrawn its sugary drinks from primary schools. Interviewed by the newspaper was Coca-Cola's South-Pacific president, Gareth Edgecombe, who stressed that, "parents have told us they want education, not dictation."

Although Coca-Cola has listened to consumers and made a few changes, the problem still lies in the products they make. With the increasing concern over childhood health and obesity in many parts of the world, it is hard to hide manufacturers' attempts to sell junk food to children through product promotions and mainstream media.

The conference held today stresses that obesity and the fight against global brands is an international problem and to effect real change people must take a global approach.

The overall theme of the Consumers International Congress is Holding Corporations to Account, which aims for greater corporate accountability, transparency and responsibility. According to the congress, consumers are losing trust in companies and demand change. More than 300 delegates from around the world will take part in policy debates and workshops as well as listening to a range of renowned experts from around the world.

In addition to food marketing, the congress will also focus on unethical drug promotion, sustainability, and consumer credit and debt.

Learn more about the conference here.

Cleaning up City Streets with Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla marketing is an unconventional way to promote on a very low budget. Tactics aim to reach the consumer in any way that is different, subversive, or sometimes illegal. This is usually done by stickering, or marketing-related graffiti -- putting messages on surfaces people walk by or use regularly. Although these tactics can be a great way to build brand recognition and support, guerrilla marketing also has the potential to deface public property, produce clutter, and get in the way of whatever people are trying to do. Putting ad messages on surfaces also raises environmental questions about the resources used and the messages produced, all very important concerns for many consumers.

People can't deny the positive effects guerrilla marketing can have for a brand: increasing awareness, generating buzz, and establishing a good relationship with consumers. London company, Street Advertising Services, sees the opportunity in guerrilla marketing and decided to incorporate environmental concerns into their professional mission by offering a cleaner solution for companies looking to put their messages out on the street.

Street Advertising services has embraced reverse graffiti, creating eco-friendly branded graffiti. A street team uses high-pressure sprayers to wash a client's stenciled logo or message right into dirty sidewalks and walls. I first read about this tactic in Amanda Gore's article, Green-washing or Greenwashing? and decided to check it out further.

According to their Web site, SAS uses environmentally friendly industrial machines which combine high pressure water and steam to leave an ad onto pavement. This eyecatching and highly effective method leaves a clear stencil of the design on dirty pavement, completely legal and not harmful to our environment.

Threeminds, a blog of agency Organic, explain that the work is all done during the night, when fewer pedestrians are moving on the canvas, using just water and steam. The process is incredibly environmentally friendly and leaves no residue. The only after effects of these ads? a semi-cleaner city.

Street Advertising Solutions describe their work as if it's a covert military action; calling their services "missions" and their employees "operatives". This is an interesting way to look at what they do; calling up feelings of danger, secret night missions, and military-like operations all in the name of promoting your brand. Although this process is completely legal, SAS still goes about their work as if it's a risky process, which I suppose it sometimes is. Pressure washing stencils of brands into dirty city streets may "clean up the city" a bit, but really only in the shape of paying brands' logos.

In addition, the gloriously clean outline of whatever the brand is only contrasts with the still dirty outlining areas, which now look much dirtier next to the clean outline of the design. Another concern I have is the idea of having logos stenciled into the streets I walk. We are already bombarded with messages on walls, TVs, computers, airplane landing strips, and highway roads, but now sidewalks? I would hate to be walking through my favorite city to see a corporate logo stenciled to the ground.

Although this new tactic means a lot for companies looking to reach a metropolitan audience in a different way, from the view of that audience it could be seen as a step too far. I think I would much rather companies tackle environmental issues by pressure washing the entire sidewalk, making the city a bit more clean. This obviously doesn't do much for brands or promoting, as now the sidewalk is too clean to leave any message. Maybe what SAS should start doing is making reverse stencils, cleaning the entire sidewalk except their stencil. This cleans the street, but still leaves a mark.

We're all connected in this great big world

When it comes to media use, we live in an extremely connected world. The internet has the potential to bring people from every corner of the planet together to trade and share information in a universal platform. The biggest way this is being done today is through social networking websites and applications such as blogs, myspace, and facebook. Basically social media describes websites where users generate their own content: members share opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives, and media with other users, connecting and forming relationships with them. New networking sites emerge everyday and technology constantly evolves, but what remains constant throughout all of this change is the basic form of advertising all of these new networks are solely based on: word of mouth.

As business trends article, Go International or Go Broke and Advertising Via Social Networks, points out: Social networks are an incredible way to spread and disseminate information.


This is largely due to the fact that social networks, are as they say, social. A is friends with B, and B is friends with C. All members are connected and have the potential to build relationships with each other. These contacts are extremely powerful when you stop and think about how many social networks most people actually belong to and the potential for information to spread very quickly. This technologically evolved word-of-mouth advertising is more credible to users, as the information they obtain is through the words or opinions of their peers, contacts, and friends. When a well respected marketer blogs about upcoming products or events, people view him as a credible source and may use his opinion in their own version of the same story. Information spreads in this way and relationships are further strengthened.

Business is built on relationships. Most work in this world is focused on strengthening relationships and building networks anyway, but having these social networks connecting companies all over the globe together at just the click of a mouse is a priceless resource no one can deny. More often then not, social networking serves to increase the strength of businesses and their social connections, providing marketers with a platform they utilize to obtain, share, and spread information to peers, consumers and contacts.

Social networking websites are surprisingly utilized all over the world, thought not all the same we know, love and use here. Tech gossip website Valleywag has created a map of the world (above) divided according to which social network countries are using the most. In this world map of social networks, Valleywag describes what's popular, where:

• Orkut leads in the Indian subcontinent, as well as Brazil.
• Facebook is stronger, internationally, than Myspace, with surprising strongholds in the Middle East.
• hi5.com is the most international of all the social networks, leading in Peru, Colombia, Central America, and other, scattered countries such as Mongolia, Romania, and Tunisia.
• both Bebo and Skyblog follow colonial patterns, the first strong in smaller English-speaking countries such as Ireland and New Zealand, and the latter in Francophone countries;
• and Friendster, the original social network, leads all across Southeast Asia.
• Fotolog, a photo service defeated in the US by Friendster, has re-emerged as the dominant social network in Argentina and Chile.

The Times They Are a Changing: Using Technology to Reach the User

ADWEEK conducted their Interactive Marketing Virtual Conference and Trade Show this past Tuesday, and I was lucky enough to be there. There were speakers on mobile marketing, search engine marketing, and the use of social networks; all of which are used to reach consumers with information about a brand. I took this opportunity to learn about new marketing techniques, new technology, and new ideas for reaching that crucial audience. The conference I found most interesting was given by the keynote speaker, John Marcom. Marcom is the former Senior VP of International Operations for Yahoo, Inc., responsible for the expansion of the yahoo brand into a growing global market. Additionally, Marcom has an impressive resume, working for some of the top media companies over the past 10 years.

The keynote address, The Times They Are a Changing: Using Technology to Compete on a Grander Scale, opened with many accurate and well received points all addressing the fact that technology is now moving and changing extremely fast. Advertising and marketing executives, therefore, must always evaluate new technologies to make sure they are being utilized the most effective and useful ways, ensuring success for the brand. Technology has changed the way in which we receive information and marketers must change with us as a result.

The biggest thing Marcom stressed was society's move to a more "consumer in control" way of doing business. Through the internet and mobile expansion, there is a lot more room for the opinion of the group and people have much more control over the content they are exposed to. This is a challenge to the old methods of advertising, as they are now expected to revolve around the consumer's interests, habits, and views. He uses Wikipedia as an example of this; describing the information source as having no real owner, instead solely serving to benefit users. Companies, he sees, are being created without much thought to advertising, but more geared towards a focus on personalization. There is definitely a surge towards peer generated content, putting consumers behind the wheel when it comes to their media consumption. This is valuable as users who are involved develop a personal stake in the content they are generating and consuming.

Marcom gave insight into a few business opportunities he sees in the ever-changing new media world, establishing that there is still a lot of room to grow in this realm and most new ideas are still in developing stages. Marcom predicts that Google marketing has a lot more development to go, but is on track to eventually change the marketplace. Search Engine Marketing will only improve and evolve, bringing marketers even closer to consumers in matching their advertising with content. He illustrates an online world where the user is front and center, creating new forms of advertising and bringing in huge benefits for both buyers and sellers. This world is filled with more information and pathways to reaching users.

With regards to new media, Marcom predicts new innovations in uniting the various mediums people use for real-time communication, including telephone, text messaging, instant message, and email. Although there is currently no clear way to bring these instant communications services completely together, new methods are being created.

He also predicted the evolution of a unified social network, instead of separated networks users have for various aspects of their lives. For example, Marcom explains one person's use of many networks including myspace and facebook, with each site tied to the users different social groups. As one joins multiple networks, it becomes time consuming to manage each one separately and new opportunities for growth will be emerging to make it easier; finding the best way to manage these various groups together.

He also sees growth in the realm of content discovery, helping users find the information they are looking for quickly and easily. Currently, content is discovered through various random methods: perhaps finding out about a song through the newspaper, or an issue through a website. Marketers can benefit by finding a more efficient way for consumers to quickly get what they want.

Marcom stressed that an authentic voice is the most important aspect of marketing in this new media world. Because of critical consumers willing to search for the perfect solution to their needs, the brand needs to convey a real message with the user's voice front and center.

All of Marcom's advice was centered around one key idea: in this faster new media world, the user is now central to the message. It is the advertising and marketing executive's challenge to form messages around consumers, with media revolving around what users want, need, or can do. Executives must constantly move around, looking out for what users are doing and how content is being consumed.

For marketers in this world, getting new users isn't the hard part. It is what you do once you have them, how you stay in the race, that counts. If you're going to be global in this market, whatever your methods, you must satisfy the user. This was Marcom's key message, a valuable look at what marketers need to be doing to establish themselves in this new user-centered and ever changing world. Advertisers should always be looking forward; discovering what their audience is thinking, where they are going, how they are consuming, and what they will be doing next. Information is free-flowing; it is the various media used to obtain this content that is now changing, and media owners must be one step ahead to ensure that the user is in the right place and content will flow out of their specific medium.

I must say I am satisfied that we are moving into an age where the consumer is a bit more front and center when it comes to media consumption decisions. It is our choice to watch what we want to watch, listening to the voice we want to hear it in and it is the media owners' job to reach us where we want to hear them. We're consuming their information and buying their products, and I really like how it's becoming easier for us to do so.


Check out the Virtual World's Conference
Watch Marcom's keynote speech

In an ABSOLUT world.....

Absolut Vodka's new global advertising campaign, "In an ABSOLUT World," is an inspiring and humorous integrated campaign that asks consumers to imagine what an "absolute" world might look like. Through this campaign, Absolut Vodka hopes to start a conversation about both universal and everyday subjects, as well as to push consumers to imagine new possibilities and express their own visions of the world. The campaign was created by TBWA/Chiat/Day/New York and includes four TV spots, print, web, outdoor and guerrilla marketing executions. The estimated $45 million global campaign broke into the U.S. and some European countries in May, and is currently launching throughout Canada.

The first U.S. print advertisement to launch out of this campaign shows the flashy billboards of Time Square replaced by fine art. Other executions include a factory emitting bubbles instead of smoke and a pregnant man and his wife. ADWEEK article, 'Absolut World' Debuts, describes the ads as optimistic and cheeky. Television commercial, "Protest," shown above, depicts protesters and police officers waging a street fight with feather pillows.

Rob Smiley, creative director for the campaign explains Absolut's purpose: “The new campaign visually answers the question: what if everything in the world was a little bit more Absolut? It’s not necessarily about perfection, but about making the world better by seeing it with fresh eyes. As the story unfolds you can expect commentary on topics and ideas big and small, serious and humorous, timeless and of the moment."

"In an ABSOLUT world," is only the second campaign in Absolut's history, replacing the iconic bottle-focused, "ABSOLUT ______," which was used for 27 years. That campaign helped the brand become the best-selling imported Vodka in the U.S., and still ranks as one of the world's most successful advertising campaigns. In recent years, however, Absolut has seen their sales drop, currently ranking seventh in customer loyalty among brands of imported vodka, a figure that hasn't changed since last year. Ahead of Absolut are newer, more expensive vodkas like Ketel One and Grey Goose, made popular by their novelty and fresh marketing.

In New York Times' article, In an 'Absolut World,' a Vodka Could Use the Same Ads for More Than 25 Years, author Stuart Elliott sees the ads as Absolut's assertion that the vodka is in a class by itself -- a world of its own. This is important for the company to establish their uniqueness in the very competitive field of imported vodkas; they must separate themselves somehow, as their is very little tangible difference between most vodka spirits.

As part of the global campaign, Absolut.com has become a community where online users from around the world can share and discuss their visions of an ABSOLUT world. Through the website, online visitors can create and upload images and films, create personal profiles, and browse, rate, comment or even develop their own visions.

Absolut wants to invite consumers around the world to discuss current events and other engaging subjects. President of Absolut, Ketil Eriksen, said in a press release: "We want to inspire people to discuss and to discover the visionary within them."

Absolut is already known for their visually stimulating and creative ad executions, which will only help bring popularity to the new campaign as consumers like, appreciate and notice Absolut's clever and witty voice. "Absolut ______," was a great idea, but after 27 years most people get it -- Absolut is the Absolut Vodka. Before burning out on a great campaign, Absolut has decided to build upon what they have, use the same voice and create a bigger concept: what if everything in the world was approached the same way Absolut approaches vodka? This not only promotes the alcohol, but also sort of makes you think -- what if things were more absolute, more clear, more open? Although the ads answer no questions, they could potentially serve as a jump-off to bigger discussions (Absolut would hope through their website). One execution, printed in Greece, depicts ice cubes being dropped into the oceans of the Earth to prevent global warming (pictured below). Obviously this is not the resolution to our environmental woes, but perhaps the absurd notion of ice cubes could spark other solutions and ideas. Maybe it's not possible in this world, but in an ABSOLUT world .. who knows.

Information from the article came from ADWEEK article, 'Absolut World' Debuts, and NYTimes.com article, In an 'Absolut World,' a Vodka Could Use the Same Ads for More Than 25 Years.

Check out Absolut.com for a look at the print executions and TV spots, or to join the discussion.

The Star always shines from above

Mercedes-Benz is giving itself a new look, separating its iconic three-pointed star logo from it's name. This is the first major change Mercedes has made to its brand identity in 18 years, perhaps reflecting the company's recent separation from Chrysler.

According to Marketing Daily article, Mercedes Separates Star From Brand Name, Loses Dimension, by Karl Greenberg, the new look will begin in Europe with the advertising of the 2008 C-Class sedan and Estate Wagon and will reach the U.S. next year.

The new star logo will appear in advertising as well as the company's general corporate communications, always positioned atop creative executions and communications, with the Mercedes-Benz name on the bottom. The company feels that the change reflects a "more sharply focused brand positioning," conveying the new corporate mantra, "The Star always shines from above."

Mercedes is also making a change to their global advertising altogether, with a focus on architecture, people and landscapes. In a company release, Mercedes says their new creative template will feature unusual perspectives and lighting, utilizing focal depth and unfocused images. The inventive designs will appear in upcoming European-market ads for the C-Class. One ad, for the C-Class Estate Wagon, sets the vehicle in an Aegean landscape, on what Greenberg said looks to be the set of a Greek dramatic tragedy, complete with chorus.

In addition to logo and advertising changes, the company is also making changes to their retail strategy, including a new "midnight blue" color scheme for dealerships. Designs were mostly developed in-house along with help from agency Claus Koch Identity Gmb.

The company stresses that this change has nothing to do with their move from Daimler Chrysler, but a move to refresh and sharpen the brand profile. Donna Boland, spokesperson at the company's U.S. arm says the move is necessary "when you have an iconic brand that is among the top ten most recognized brands in the world."

Separating the logo from the text makes sense given Mercedes' universal recognition, as it is the star that has the strongest emotional connection with consumers of the brand. If it is that image that pulls people in then it should be the first thing people see when they encounter the Mercedes-Benz company. It seems strange that the company has stressed this move as having nothing to do with their separation from Chrysler; it seems to be rather timed, as the company only left a few months ago.

According to the company, the new brand identity of Mercedes-Benz revives its market presence, combining tradition with a future-oriented approach. Mercedes has always used a star to reflect their brand identity but now will be featuring it even more prominently, where it is more visible to customers.

Whatever the reasons, it's never a bad idea for a universally recognized company to give consumers something new to look at. Their new logo is still just as recognizable and goes right along with Mercedes-Benz's image, so I doubt any confusion will arise. There are enough car commercials out there that all look the same so if Mercedes has a new idea then I am excited to see it.

Information from the article came from this site.

"It's up to you."

With these four words, U.K. band Radiohead is telling customers to do exactly what everyone in the record industry has been telling them not to: download free music. This past Tuesday the band released "In Rainbows," their new album, for download on the internet. Fans can digitally download the album for whatever price they choose from its website, radiohead.com. This is Radiohead's seventh record, the first in four years, and one of this year's most anticipated albums.

This donation-style system is significant because of Radiohead's massive fan base, easily reaching into the millions globally. The band is able to offer this download option because they currently don't have a record-label, personally owning distribution rights over their music.


According to Greg Kot's blog, Turn It Up, Radiohead is releasing their album on their own terms. Instead of fighting internet file-sharing, the band is embracing their fans, giving them what they want in a medium they use.

Despire more than 20,000 lawsuits, file-sharing has only expanded in recent years. At any moment, more than 9 million consumers are sharing files, dramatically more than 3.8 million, four years ago. Radiohead knows this first hand, as their previous three albums have all been leaked ahead of their official release dates. Irregardless, record sales did not suffer as fans still turned out to buy the albums once they appeared in stores. The band's past 3 albums have all debuted in the top 5 on the Billboard album chart showing that listening first doesn't deter fans from buying.

Along with the digital download, Radiohead is also selling a box-set consisting of the CD album, vinyl records, additional songs as well as artwork and lyrics. Radiohead accepts that through this download release they could potentially lose sales, but it is hard to ignore the marketing opportunities that will come out of this. The music industry has been talking all week about the buzz this move creates. Bert Holman, manager of the Allman Brothers, sees gold for Radiohead as they build themselves a loyal fan base. He says, "Whatever they give away will help them get even bigger as a live act, The free record markets the tour and a lot of other revenue streams."

This is a perfect "anti-marketing" strategy according to a DoshDosh.com article. The band is letting fans talk; letting them access the album online and not setting a fixed price generates great buzz. This method is truly a me-and-you relationship, epitomized in their words, "it's up to you".

The credibility and attention the album's release will give Radiohead is extremely valuable, and since Tuesday, this has been proven. Blog search engine, Blogpulse, showed that posts mentioning the band increased 1300 percent over a three-day span; this is incredible publicity for a 10-track album release. Giving fans the option to download for as little as 45 pence (the credit card handling fee) also hasn't deterred some fans from paying full price for the box set. People are happy to pay the money when they know it's going straight to the artists, not the distributing record company.

But in this interconnected world of communication, who is that surprised? Youtube can turn average viewers into celebrities, Google can send people to the moon, and all it takes is a microphone to make a podcast. A simple blog post can reach millions, especially when networks become attached and opinions are shared. These new methods of communicating and spreading messages further promote globalization, bringing people everywhere together to share.

For Radiohead, this means reaching a key audience. Media-savvy fans, who are looking for the next hit are key players in the buzz game. Giving them the ability to download and listen to the album anywhere in the world is clutch for spreading the word. Their opinion matters, and as past buzz campaigns have shown, it is this group that spreads the word and gets others downloading. Reaching this audience through digital downloads further establishes Radiohead as an epic band because not only are they making themselves available to their audience, they are gaining publicity and favorable attention from non fans as well.

The DoshDosh.com article acknowledges that Radiohead isn't the first band to offer their music free online, but sees the recent release as an opportunity to shift the focus of the music industry. They ask, "will this change the way artists or marketers produce, promote and think about music?"

I think Radiohead said it right with "it's up to you". The success of this will show when the band's pricey box set is released in a few months. It will be interesting to find out whether Radiohead's decision to look beyond the commercial side will actually gain them a larger audience, in turn creating large profits. In a world where marketers want you to pay to show your loyalty to an artist, Radiohead is choosing to go down a different path. They choose to show that it isn't all about money, a refreshing statement that's got a lot of people listening.

Check out "In Rainbows"

Start spreading the news, Im leaving today

"This Is New York City," New York's first international advertising campaign was unveiled this week. The campaign seeks to attract tourists from around the world, showcasing the range of experiences and things to do throughout the city.

New York's campaign will be seen on television in Spain, Ireland, France, and the United Kingdom; outdoor billboards will be up in Brazil, Portugal, Italy and Spain; newspaper and magazine spots will be purchased in countries including South Africa and Germany.

According to International Herald Tribune article, NYC unveils global ad campaign to draw foreign visitors, the city's tourism office has been expanding internationally with attempts to attract world travelers in this increasingly competitive market. Previous attempts to promote the city include small billboard campaigns in the United Kingdom and Ireland, but for the first time, ads will appear on television abroad sending a unified message to multiple nations.

This campaign is designed to help reach Mayor Bloomberg's set goal of increasing tourism in New York City from 44 million people each year to 50 million people by 2015. Currently, tourism brings about $24 billion into the city each year.

This is a good time for New York to be thinking about tourism, as international travelers will want to take advantage of the good exchange rate in the US.New York is always an attractive city to visit, but a campaign advertising the true depth of activities that can be done within the five boroughs can only make it look better. Mayor Bloomburg pointed out the beauty of this melting pot city: "It is five boroughs. It is every kind of cuisine and culture and religion and ethnicity that exists anyplace in the world."

Success with this campaign does depend upon the United States' status within the countries targeted. Favorable opinion does change on a day-to-day basis, and feelings regarding safety may deter some travelers from crossing the ocean for a trip to the big apple. What this campaign will definitely do, however, is spread the world about New York's diverse ethnic population, stressing that almost anyone can find a place there. A campaign such as this could also hopefully spread the message that New York, and America as a whole, is open to everyone.

YourTube, YourWorld, YourVideos, Your Decision.

YouTube Project Direct: a film challenge for directors with something to say.

YouTube has announced Project Direct, its first international film promotion. The competition, which starts today (October 7), is sponsored by Hewlett-Packard and aims to discover new filmmakers working around the world. From now until November 9, filmmakers can submit their best work, showcasing their creativity and displaying their talent.YouTube wants everyone involved, stressing that it's not just filmmakers they need in the competition. Once videos are submitted, judges will view the videos and narrow the contestants down to 20 finalists. After 20 amateur filmmakers are discovered, YouTube will leave the final decision to you. The YouTube community will be voting to decide what video they want to view, starting November 23 and ending December 2. The winner will revealed December 5.

This is an opportunity for independent filmmakers to get themselves out there and build their audience, but it is the global aspect of the competition that makes it a really great idea. Jamie Byrne, head of product marketing for YouTube, stresses this by pointing out that video is a universal way for people to communicate and express themselves. To be judged on an international level by fellow internet-using peers gives artists the rare chance to see how their ideas and creativity transverse national and cultural boundaries. YouTube is already such a popular way for artists to promote themselves, but Project Direct takes it one step further by giving users and producers the opportunity to recognize and reward talent.

This competition is the perfect way to promote YouTube; establishing its image as a medium and supporter of upcoming talent and a global establishment that values the opinion of its users. YouTube visitors who peruse the website between November 23 and December 2 can easily get involved in the competition, without any prior knowledge of it. All it takes is a click, a view, and a vote.. democracy.

So, here are the specific, boring details ..
Each video entry must be between two and seven minutes long, submitted in English (or with English subtitles). Contestants must be 18 years or older and must be a legal residents of any of the countries involved: Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States

... to add a creative twist on an already creative idea ...
• A character in the film must face a situation above his or her maturity level
• Each film must include the line “I demand an explanation for these shenanigans. What do you have to say?”
• A character must pass a photograph to someone else

.. and you can't have a competition without a prize ...
YouTube and HP know this, and are planning to reward the winner of Project Direct handsomely. After being choosen by the YouTube community, the winner will have their video plays on the YouTube homepage in seven countries. They will also receive $5,000 and the young film maker's networking trip of a lifetime: nine days at a top international Film Festival attending special events, including a meeting with Fox Searchlight production executives.

YouTube has envisioned a new way to promote global creativity, inspire young talent, easily involve users, and bring 7 different countries together to make a decision.. pretty great.

I am interested to see the various ways contestants can achieve the set guidelines through their own original ideas.

Check out the competition .. it's going on now!! www.youtube.com/projectdirect
Information from the article was found here.

The Power of Human Energy

"There are 193 countries in the world, none of them are energy independent." So, why should you care? That's the question energy company Chevron Corp. is trying to get people to think about with their new integrated global advertising campaign. "Power of Human Energy," Chevron's new campaign, is all about engaging people in energy issues, while promoting Chevron's own energy efforts. The new campaign will launch in the U.S. on September 30 and internationally on October 5.

Four spots will appear on television in the U.S. and regionally in Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, on channels such as CNNI, BBC, and Discovery. In addition to television spots, the campaign also includes print ads, online ads, and special events.

Chevron's campaign will debut in the U.S. as a two-and-a-half minute television spot entitled, "Untapped Energy," on CBS's "60 Minutes". This will be followed next by a series of 1-minute and 30-second television spots, which will be viewed globally. Regarding the theme of these commercials Chevron Corp. said that the ads will focus on the effect energy has on our lives and the commitment, ingenuity and responsibility Chevron practices to bring energy supplies to the market. You can check out their entire campaign including print, outdoor, and online elements here.

Chevron's biggest aim is to encourage education and participation on vital energy issues and decisions. This is evident when you visit their website willyoujoinus.com, which includes an extensive compilation of information that influences a lot of the present day challenges and an open on-going discussion on the most up-to-date issues.

It isn't a secret that energy demand is soaring at rates never before seen. In fact, according to Chevron's website, some say that in 20 years the world will consume 40% more oil than it does today. This is astounding, but unfortunately not that unbelievable. So I guess we have to make a decision: do we wait until crisis forces us to do something? or as Chevron aims, we can join together and commit to change. This is not an easy task, but the actions we take now mean incredible things for the future.

This open discussion, led by Chevron, will hopefully reshape energy use, or at least the way that we look at it. The interactiveness of the campaign is brilliant, because energy-use really is an issue we all have to deal with. The campaign brings education and awareness to the many important issues, while stressing that this is something we need to join together to solve. The time is now, says Chevron: corporations, governments and every citizen of this planet must be part of the solution as surely as they are part of the problem. It's all about a conversation, and it's time to start talking.

Information in this post came from this article.

New Outdoor Campaign that has Travelers Targeted

Starting next month, airline passengers around the world will be targeted with giant ads located underneath flying planes, most likely on the runways of some of the world's busiest airports. Each advertisement is twice the size of London's Trafalgar Square (or three football -- soccer-- fields together). World’s biggest ads network launched, an article posted on utalkmarketing.com explains that marketing company, Ad-Air, is offering the world's first in-flight outdoor advertising sites. Basically billboard space on the ground so big you can see the ad from the sky. This will give brands new exposure to a giant global audience through these massive digitally printed advertisements.

The first giant ad will be on display for 12 months in Dubai starting next month. After this, the company plans to have 42 sites in operation within the next year. The highest concentration of sites will be at London Heathrow and Dubai.

Ad-Air has spent the last five years researching and securing placement spots around the world's busiest airports. These include Paris, Madrid, Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Beijing, and Bangkok. The plan is that each airport will have up to four placement sites.

According to the article, each advertisement will be held in a non-permanent frame just above ground level. They will be surrounded by fencing and landscaping to ensure that it is not a visible annoyance to local residents. To protect fertile land, the digital ads will be created out of a lightweight woven PVC mesh, which allows air and moisture through. This will decrease the environmental impact on land.

Ad-Air aims to reach a high quality audience of passengers. The best segment th
at will be reached through this new form of outdoor advertisement is the hard to reach business travelers who will be exposed at a moment when they have little to distract them.

In terms of cost, advertisers should expect to pay about $200,000 (£100,000) for production and $30,000 for installation. These numbers may seem absurdly high, but the number of passengers that could be exposed are even higher. For example, London Heathrow has had 67.5 million passengers pass through its terminals in the past year.

The article stresses that feedback from clients and agencies around the world has been extremely positive. I have to say I am not surprised. Advertising in this way is completely new and revolutionary. Marketers will be reaching their audience (millions of airline passengers) while they are free from the distraction of other marketing messages. This is a massive audience, bored with looking down at monotonous land below, who will be surprised to find a new creative billboard looking up at them. This will definitely expand into a powerful word-of-mouth campaign, which serves great to better reinforce the brand. If the creators can maintain their guarantees relating to the environment and the neighboring communities, then I think this plan could possibly pave the way to radical ideas in outdoor advertising. Digital advertisements you see from the sky while flying from London to do business in Dubai ... what next?

John Sharkey, Ad-Air chairman and former Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi, is extremely excited about the implications of this new form of outdoor advertising: “The launch of Ad-Air is one of those rare moments in advertising that really changes the face of the industry and the possibilities we can offer clients."

As the article notes, the kinks aren't all worked out yet: The ad areas are not floodlit, which effects exposure during the evening. This problem, they hope, will be addressed where legislation allows.

Read about it

Check it out for yourself

Global Marketing in 5 Steps

When companies attempt to expand their businesses into the global market, many times they are unsuccessful. Crystal Vilkatis, writer for Red Rocket Media Group, explains that it is because marketing efforts are not adapted to reflect the specific country's differing values, beliefs, and culture. In her article Global Marketing: 5 Steps to Succession, she suggests that companies need to change their marketing approach when working internationally. She introduces 5 steps that can help companies move to a global level and market internationally.

Her first vital suggestion, which encompasses all others: Research .. and research more. Market research is especially important when marketing internationally because the targeted audience is much different than previous audiences. Researching demographics is important to discovering where there is a want or need for the product.

Vilkatis stresses learning as much as possible about the country being marketed. Cultural differences have a significant impact on what messages are portrayed where. Countries can differ in so many ways. This includes language, religion, social structure, and education. There are also vast differences in values, preferences, tastes, and traditions. If, she says, one does not take the cultural differences into account then most likely their campaigns will be considered meaningless. This ineffectiveness can damage the credibility of the company.

Through research, Vilkatis suggests identifying important groups of consumers through market segmentation. This can be done through demographics, social factors, psychological traits, and any other purchasing behavior that sets a group apart. Once a segment is determined, a marketing mix that will appeal to them must be created. This unique mix contains choices about product attributes and various strategies for communicating the message, which includes distribution, pricing, and placement.

Vilkatis's forth suggestion requires looking at the world more as a single entity. Discovering similarities between consumers all over the world creates new segment groups who can be targeted in the same way. Values, age, and lifestyle choices are three traits that frequently translate into similar purchasing behaviors. If companies can do this then, in some cases, they can sell a standardized product worldwide using the same basic marketing mix.

Vilkatis final step requires a look into whether standardized advertising is the best option for the campaign. Using the same ads instead of developing new ones per country is a huge money saver and may yield more results, but streamlining a campaign to fit more than one country is no easy task. Cultural diversity makes it hard to develop one message that will be successful worldwide. Also standing in the way are various laws and regulations, which vary from country to country. Vilkatis points out that what might be acceptable in one country is illegal in another.

Vilkatis major suggestion, it appears, is to do your homework. Find out who you are targeting and what the best way to reach them is. If you're lucky, maybe the message can work in more then one place. The most important thing is finding how the product is needed or used and then attempting to reach the people who want it.

Read this article

Red Rocket Magazine

GOOGLE to the Moon

Through this blog I hope that you will gain insight into the global world of marketing and advertising. Advertising around the world is quite a broad topic. Technically I can talk about anything in the realm marketing or advertising going on in the entire world; this is an incredible amount of news and information, there are endless stories and new developments coming from every corner of the vast Earth. Certainly "Global" is about as far as marketing money can or should go, since market research doesn't even include the stratosphere, but what if I, or a company, were to think bigger then that? Bigger then the continents, the oceans, the entire planet. An article that I read recently reported that such a company is thinking this way. Internet supergiant Google is looking to expand their market out of this world and straight to the moon.

What better way to get your name out there then to shoot it to the moon?

In a Los Angeles Times article entitled, Google to Sponsor Space Race to the Moon, the company announced their desire to spur a modern day space-race. Google and the X Prize Foundation have teamed together to create Google Lunar X Prize. This competition will award as much as $30 million in prizes for landing unmanned rovers on the moon to perform certain tasks.

Although this spacey decision to spend investor dollars and corporate earnings on a race to the moon seems like a great way to waste money, Gene Munster, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray & Co., sees it as a great move: "This will probably frustrate investors at first glance, but when they see what this does for the Google brand, I think they will get their money's worth. If you are going to do something creative with your marketing dollars, you might as well shoot for the moon -- literally."

So what exactly is Google's idea of creative marketing? The competition, open internationally, challenges participants to land an unmanned vehicle on the moon, have it travel at least 500 meters and beam video images and other information back to Earth. The first company to win the race by 2012 takes home $20 million. Additional incentives include at least $5 million in bonuses for finding lost relics from the U.S. Apollo landings or detecting water ice.

It is estimated that the cost of building and landing this type of rover is between $20 million and $40 million.

I will be honest, after reading this article, I initially questioned Google's thinking. This is a great marketing tactic, which will surely bring a lot of recognition to the already universal brand, but I have a hard time seeing the appeal of this type of space travel. I didn't realize companies would be interested in (without help from NASA) building their own (very expensive) rockets, launching into space and exploring. Peter Diamandis, founder of the X Prize Foundation, however, said that since the announcement of the contest, potential competitors have already surfaced. Apparently space travel has always been a popular hobby in Silicon Valley. There are numerous examples to illustrate this. Elon Musk, a founder of PayPal, has already worked to develop rockets through his company, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. Mogul Richard Branson and his Virgin Group have even begun plans for "Virgin Galactic", the first commercial spacecraft, and of course, we all know GoogleEarth, which has recently updated to include moonscape images. Google is also working to develop Moon 2.0, which will hopefully be a launching pad for solar system exploration.

Diamandis envisions this as a contest to potentially expand our current methods of space exploration: "Our hope is that the technology coming out of this will really spark a commercial revolution that will see new types of companies and new types of robotics used to explore the moon, asteroids and beyond."

So, my personal opinion would be that there are much better ways to spend over $100 million here on our own planet. There are parts of our global world now that could definitely use companies sponsoring new development and exploration, and recognition gained for playing a part in the global community can't be bad. From a marketing perspective, though, I can absolutely see the appeal of being "the first company in space", and for Google, there's nowhere left to go but up and away.

Read this article and more here.