Case Study: Generating Social Media Buzz

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Here’s an absolutely brilliant video case study demonstrating how to use social media buzz to market directly to your specific demographic. It can be difficult reaching certain demographics ((millennial males, for instance) through traditional means. This often means you must think outside the box to get their attention. You must dare to be daring. Of course providing events as a form of marketing isn’t new, however, using social media to generate a global buzz is still in its infancy. But you don’t have to be a multi-national like Heineken to use it. Is there an event that you could be hosting to generate some buzz about your own brand?

<h3>The Event</h3>

The first thing to consider is the demographic you are trying to target. As with all marketing be specific. That will not only allow you to better cater to their needs and desires but will also concentrate your resources exactly where they matter. In the video Heineken focused on two immediate groups: die-hard Italian football fans – especially AC Milan or Real Madrid fans; and also their partners, bosses and friends. Especially the wives and girlfriends (WAGs). They provided the two groups with a memorable experience that they could both enjoy. The football match for the fans, and the conspiracy (and concert) for their partners.

Football is very important in Italy. The fans are called i tifosi because the popularity of the game spread like Typhoid Fever. Watching football and drinking beer also have close associations so it was an obvious choice to link the two in a marketing exercise. When deciding on what sort of an event to host you too may be able to link your product with a complimentary activity. Do something that your consumers are already doing but tweak it and present it in an exciting new way. In the Heineken case study, they tapped into the fact that Italian football fans watch big matches religiously, and they tend to do so with their friends. By showing the game on a big screen in an auditorium with their WAGs and bosses Heineken provided a unique experience. Something memorable for both demographics, especially for the WAGs who got to do something special for their partners but also got to be included in the actual activity – watching football tends to be a male-only environment. <h3>Generating The Buzz</h3>

Showing a football match in an auditorium may have been enough to generate some local buzz for in the Heineken case. However, by conspiring with the WAGS and bosses they took it to a new level. They also videoed the entire thing so they could share it. By distributing the video on the web and to traditional news outlets they presented it as an offbeat news story. This is the key to their success. It wasn’t just a video of what happened, they created a very human narrative about conspiracy, disappointment, joy, love and fun.

Videoing your event is a powerful way to advertise. However you must provide a way for those that weren’t at the event to tap into the emotion. Otherwise it becomes just a video record of the event rather than generating a desire to have been there. In the case study the audience experiences the fun of knowing about the conspiracy, the looks of horror as the fans must make the impossible decision and then sit through the concert, and finally the envy of watching football on a big screen in an auditorium – and presumably while drinking Heineken.

Hosting an event as part of your marketing can be richly reward and generate significant brand recognition in itself. However, by producing a video that touches upon the emotions of the viewer and distributing it through the various social media channels you can take the exercise to a competly new level. <!-- Social Bookmarks BEGIN -->

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Syndicated 2010-03-18 04:12:59 from Skribe Productions

Mass Defect Too: Teaser

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Here’s a bit of fun. It’s a teaser scene from a parody of Mass Effect 2 we’re currently making. Enjoy. <!-- Social Bookmarks BEGIN -->

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Syndicated 2010-03-17 09:25:23 from Skribe Productions

Online Video: State of the Industry

Online video is booming.According to Comscore, January 2010 saw US viewers watching a staggering 32.4 billion videos online which is a 50% increase over January 2009. That’s 173 million users watching an average of 93 videos per month. France saw a 141% growth in total online videos viewed during the period of September 2008 until the same period in 2009. Similarly, Germany saw an increase in unique viewers of 38% during the period of Aug08-Aug09. This suggests a massive increase in the acceptance and use of online video as a means of entertainment and to receive information. All of which bodes well for those seeking to utilise this burgeoning market but there are a few issues that may be concerning.

For example, Nielsen’s figures show that while there was a 10.5% increase in unique viewers over the 2009 figures, February saw a downturn over January 2010. This is most likely due to seasonal factors. The trend is for a slowing during that part of the year (2009 saw a much sharper dip) however it is certainly something to watch.

The Google Sites (YouTube and Google Video) continue their dominance serving up almost 13 billion videos and controlling 39.5% of the market. Hulu keeps making in-roads delivering almost three times as many videos in Jan 2010 than they did in Jan 2009. The big loser is Fox Interactive (including MySpace), which is serving up only half as many videos as they did a year ago.

However Fox remains a potent force in delivering unique users. They deliver more in fact than Hulu but still behind Google, Yahoo and CBS Interactive. Viacom, Microsoft, Facebook, Vevo and AOL complete the top ten. Vevo is of particular interest not only because the site was only launched in December 2009, but also because its user-base is restricted to only a few regions. It will be very interesting to see how the popularity grows as more regions are added.

The growing popularity of Hulu’s long form videos has increased the duration of the average online video from 3.5 minutes a year ago to 4.1 minutes in January 2010. In fact the average Hulu user now spends nearly 245 minutes viewing 23.5 videos per month. Compared to the average YouTube user who spends 108 minutes watching 93.9 videos per month there’s a definite difference in viewing pattern demographics. This needs to be taken into consideration when targeting those demographics.

Overall the beginning of the year has, despite the seasonal hiccup trend, provided a positive start. Online video continues to attract both advertisers and audiences at a staggering rate. Thus proving that online video is no longer the next big thing, online video is the big thing and it is happening now.

Syndicated 2010-03-15 22:15:20 from Skribe Productions

Looking Good On 1L$ And Less: A How-To Guide To Freebie Shopping In Second Life

Just as in your first life, you want to look good without breaking the bank. In Second Life, however, you can look fastastic without spending a virtual dollar just by following these simple steps:

1. Look Around. Stores usually place giveaways near the main entrance, but sometimes they hide them. Think of it as an Easter egg hunt.

2. Check Every Outlet. Some designers make freebies available only in their main store or in a specialty outlet. Be sure to visit all of them.

3. Group Gifts. Many shops and designers will bribe you into joining their store group with an immediate freebie. But only some stores will continue to reward your loyalty with subsequent group gifts, which could be anything from bundled up old stock to limited editions exclusive only to group members.

4. Cosplay Kits. Themed sims and speciality shops often provide a free costume set for both male and female visitors to help them fit in with the location and encourage role-play.

5. Newbie Packs. If your avatar is new enough (30 days or younger, for example), you will be eligible for some great starter kits. Some packages come complete with clothes, hairs, shapes, and even skins. For girls and guys!

6. Camping Chairs and Lucky Letters. These are used primarily to increase visitor stats to a location, so look out for them in places which aren’t freebie warehouses.

7. Get Off The Strip. Boutique shopping sims feature many up-and-coming new designers eager to promote their wares. Their giveaways are often well-made and eclectic, and will help your avie stand out from the rest of the crowd.

With luck, these tips mean you will never need to visit another freebie warehouse. Consider that store and group freebies tend to be more recently made, and may even be items considered hot must-haves only last season. Newbie Packs, too, are often being revised all the time to keep up with the recent trends in design.

Just as in the real world, fashion options are biased in favour of females – more shops, more items, more freebies. Besides Newbie Packs and Cosplay Kits, boutique sims tend to be good places to pick up gender-neutral gear or guy-specific accessories like beards.

The thing about freebie shopping is that you never quite know what you’ll find, but when you find it, you won’t know how you ever dressed without it.

Happy hunting, shoppers!

Syndicated 2010-03-15 04:49:33 from Skribe Productions

BarcampSG 5

I’ll be discussing using video advertising on the web at Barcamp Singapore, which happens on March 27th. The venue is Singapore Polytechnic (next to Dover MRT – 20 minutes train ride from City Hall).

I’ll be talking about how to use web video in your business and some of the pitfalls you need avoid. It’s not as straight-forward as most people – even the professionals – think.

I hope to be able to meet some of you there so we can have a chat and maybe a coffee or three. I love meeting new people.

Syndicated 2010-03-15 01:30:46 from Skribe Productions