The Big 5 Concept

Case Study: Big 5 Concept and How to use it properly.

For example: A new mobile device is about to be launched and we need to promote it in order to gain sales and market share.

The first thing we need to do is organize a marketing campaign to let future users know of the existence of a new mobile phone. The first concept is TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING. Since we are involved in a massive campaign, we will design Print Media, TV spots and Radio, plus all other direct marketing strategies available to us. This is going to generate AWARENESS of the new mobile phone, and will motivate consumers into seeking the product, gaining sales and market share. This will also point you in the right direction in order to achieve a differentiating effect on your product.

The second thing we will use is TECHNOLOGY. Since we are talking about a mobile phone the object itself becomes the second concept, technology. Inside a mobile phone there are hardware and software involved in order for it to function, making technology its core. Since we are trying to sell a new product we will use this technology in our favor. The brand may decide to use Augmented Reality (AR) in order to mix two concepts: Print media and Technology (AR) through a series of printed ads on magazines where the user, aided by an AR marker, will trigger a 3d model of the new phone. This begins to mix traditional advertising and Technology in order to make a more dramatic and AWE-like impact on the consumer, guaranteeing the brand a WOW effect.

For this to happen you will need a platform where you can hold both print media and technology. This brings us to the third concept: WEBS. In order for any product to live online it must have a web site that can expand on information, show a video of the new look and usability of the phone, share comments of users, create a teaser effect, etc. This becomes the essence of any product, a must have for all brands and services. But consider the fact that any web page on it´s own will create or bring little or no traffic (there are exceptions) at all. You must drive your traffic here, through actions such as print media, viral messages, banners, and a widely accepted selection of promotional containers.

Once you have your web, the brand must now focus on followers. It must look and fight for every brand lover, brand freak or tech enthusiast to let the world know how COOL this product really is, this brings us to the fourth concept: SOCIAL MEDIA. The fastest and most rapidly growing market Online. This concept will give you the most important impact of them all: user feedback! You may need to leave part of your budget open in order to react in time to what people are saying and asking from you, such as promotions, special events, product launch, pre-order list, VIP ordering, tutorials, tips and tricks, etc. Listen to what your users and potential users are saying. Filter the content but read it all. Grab only the rich flavored comments and the constructive criticism, that will help you mold your marketing camping. Shape your message in accordance to what you are hearing online NOT only to what your marketing department is saying.

Pics (top pic also): bluemapdesign

The last concept (fifth concept) your brand must have in mind is content. CONTENT MEDIA is your most precious jewel, it makes the difference between a good camping and a horrible one. You control your content so make it count!. Make your content be interesting and focused on the platform you are publishing it. Don´t make the mistake on using the same content found on your website, placed on your social media platform, or on your banner ads. Each content should be managed in order to reach the mind of the audience you are targeting. It should be able to inspire more curiosity and the most important, it should be able to trigger a viral effect. Your own users will be the best detonator in achieving a viral online campaign. If you lack powerful content to throw at your target, then you might loose a very CHEAP and powerful way of communicating your message across the Internet.

As you can clearly see with this example we touch on all concepts of the big 5. All of them interact with each other, traditional advertising, with technology mixed on a powerful web page that later sends content to users through social media and online advertising. The right mix with the right flavor! But keep in mind, that inside each concept there are a numerous variations and alternatives that can be mixed up to form a brand new and different Online strategy. A strategy that will Taylor to the needs of a different campaign motive and goal. Finding the right mix is the key, but your strategy must touch on all five pillars in order to achieve a complete online message.

-German Coppola

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share on Linkedin
• Share with Stumblers
• Tumblr it
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Full big 5 concept (Traditional, Web, Technology, Social Media, Content Media)

Ad agency Wieden + Kennedy’s (The Old Spice Ad) “Smell like a man, man” won an Emmy for best Outstanding Commercial!!! I guess this could be a perfect case study in order to see how traditional advertising is beginning to mix with Online trends and technology. If you recall the first ad was a well complex one shot ad, with almost no special effects, correct lighting, storyline, location and proper message. There where other ads just as brilliant, but the interesting part were the viral ads of the actor (Isaiah Mustafa) answering tweets from his followers.

Although the ad is hilarious we have to be aware of certain changes in the way the message was sent across. First we have the the product placed pretty much all over the ad. Very similar to those 60′s and 70′s ads, where the product was held in hand while admiring its benefits.

This seems to break away from what the user is used to watching on TV. In a way, we as advertisers, have abused on emotional and intellectual ideas and concepts, bombarding our viewers with intense like Hollywood productions.

This Old Spice campaign discovered that in the end what matters is what we all like best, a good laugh, and that having a great time with the product will make me more keen into buying it than appealing to my intellectual or emotional side.

Here is one the ads:

But this article is actually meant to direct your attention into the amazing viral properties of a well executed campaign. Where the creators of this ad, tapped into every concept in the big 5.

1- Traditional Advertising:

The ad itself has all the components of traditional advertising. In order for this campaign to triumph and get its message across there were numerous fronts to cover: Creative Concept, Storyline, Casting, Location, Execution and Production, Post-Production, and Diffusion are only examples of the many qualities that were needed in order to achieve the right message. But this does not end here.

Once the idea and concept are created there has to be a marketing strategy both Online and Offline. This is where the rest of the big 5 cocnept comes into play.

2-Webs

In order for this to communicate in a universal platform the add was placed on the official Old Spice webpage. Here you will also attract customers to other adds and products they were not aware of. Remember that in any campiagn you launch, the viral effect can start from your own webpage, using share buttons, and social networks as detonators. Users will then be in charge of your content and the distribution throughout the web. This ad will not only live on your official site, but embedding options will make this live in many other platforms.

3-Technology

Copy this link, or embed this video, as well as share this video with friends, send it to You Tube or follow the Old Spice Guy in Twitter are all examples of technology at play. Many different platforms were placed at the users fingertips in order make them the best sales force on the web. Just the mere fact that the add was funny in nature and incredibly well executed with all its precision and fast passed dialogue, makes this a good reason to pass it on. We as a society have a huge advantage into what we decide to like and dislike but also we have  the means to propagate such ads.

Back in the old days it was either in TV, Radio and Newspaper and that was it. You had no chance to see the ad whenever you wanted. You had to either have the commercial explained by others or you might have wait to see it one day while waiting for your favorite show to air. Lots have changed since then, and thanks to technology adds like these can become viral in nature in a short period of time.

4-Social Media

This was probably the best example in social media marketing. The viral effect was made possible through the numerous social networks, making this available to share and send in many different formats. The cheap rebound effect of social networks came in handy while getting the message across. But what really amazed me the most was the fact that many short videos were made with the same actor, answering questions of certain followers on Twitter.

The questions were real in nature and the answers were extremely funny. The interesting part in all this is that you never saw the product or heard him mention it at all. This can only be achieved if the campaign managed to connect the actor with the product, making him the “Old Spice Guy” and since you were aware of this at all times it was completely normal to see him answer, in his own style, the questions put forth by fans and followers.

They managed to mix traditional advertising with Social Media for the first time in advertising history. They left their campaign open, since they had to wait for tweets in order to film the sequences. This reminded me that advertising can be rewritten and refocused time after time. The creative concept was perfect but the execution was just brilliant. It is nice to see Advertising shifting from its traditional sense and mixing with new technologies and trends.

5- Content Media

Content was crucial for this campaign, The ads were filled with content but what triggered the difference was the content generated by users in the Social Networks, that allowed the creative team to use. I mentioned in my article the big 5 concept explained that you should leave part of your budget open when concerning Online campaigns. the Internet changes constantly, plus it talks back to you as users and consumers tap into your products. You have to be aware of this fact and act quickly in order to minimize you opportunity cost. Old Spice left part of their strategy to content generated through Social Media. it was simple, when they planned on attracting attention through Social networks they knew feedback was just a matter of time. Planning ahead made them realize that personalizing the brand, in this case the actor, when answering tweets was going to make a huge social impact. It did that and more, they were nominated for an Emmy and WON!!

Applying a good creative concept and mixing them with the big 5 can truly make the difference between awesome and plain nice. Traditional advertising does not have to die, it has to refocus and contemplate such as Old Spice did the fact that there are other platforms and behaviors that need to be taken into serious consideration. As more of these campaigns roll out, the concept will become more accepted and integrated throughout agencies worldwide. There is always a first.

Just in case you are wondering if the ad is Computer Generated or just ONE SHOT, well it´s one shot!!!!! Amazing, you can watch the interview with the two creators of the ad as they explain shot by shot how this composition was made possible. I’m on a horse!!!!

-German Coppola

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share on Linkedin
• Share with Stumblers
• Tumblr it
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Big 5 concept #4

Picture by: Social Media by alphaver.wordpress.com

Here we go again, the new buzz on new names and job positions. Many companies are seeking Community Managers (CM) and Social Media Managers (SMM) desperately in order to lead their Social Media campaigns. The truth is that more than half of the agencies and companies worldwide “NEED” these two profiles but they have no idea what role each of them should lead. First let´s define the difference between SMM and CM.

A Social Media Manager is in charge of  linking the companies brand or services with new social media platforms. They decide when and how should the brand or services appear in any given support. They are in charge of planning the goal and the way to get there, pinpointing a measurable strategy and a unique way of differentiating from their competitors. They should be able to detect the best possible entries in the social media world that are in tune with their brand and services. Making an entry in all platforms may be a mistake and a waste of resources and results. They should be capable of planning a complete Online strategy without having to enter into the creative message itself.

A Community Manager executes the plans that were traced by the SMM. They are the creative part of the social media strategy, finding the right message at the right time in the right platform. CM are in charge of interacting with the brand and their followers, posting news, product launches, offers and promotion and the most important part they should act as the voice of the company on the Internet. In order for this to succeed the CM must have the capacity to intervene and calm negative  responses of unhappy users. I read the other day an article by Chris Nerney (webNewser) where he mentions the 5 qualities a good CM should have when hiring.

Picture by: Dbarefoot

These are the 5 aspects to consider when hiring any of the two profiles to lead an Online Campaign.

The following excerpt was taken from (www.mediabistro.com)

——————-

1. You understand technology, but you love people.

Social media technology is a means to an end, that end generally being to communicate effectively, build trust and foster community. The quiet geek in the corner who wears a reddit t-shirt, knows how to use any Twitter application ever invented, but never interacts with co-workers, probably isn’t the right person for the job.

Better would be the outgoing person who gets what social media can do and wants to use it to reach out to people — friends, customers, clients, people with similar interests, etc. If that’s you, don’t worry about whether you have sufficient “passion” for a social media manager’s job. You do.

2. You possess intellectual and emotional curiousity.

Sure, you’re supposed to know stuff — your company’s business, details about products and services, problem resolution procedures, etc. — but your real strength is the desire and ability to look at things from another person’s perspective. Empathy. The best customer reps have it; for a social media manager, it’s imperative.

3. You’re thoughtful, not impulsive or reactive.

Being a social media manager is about more than tweeting positive thoughts and virtual brand-building. There’s a lot of pressure. Many organizations aren’t totally sold on social media, measuring its impact (especially short-term) can be difficult, not all your co-workers may be “getting it,” and dealing with crises (or even just haters) can test your patience. If you can handle these types of things, you may be able to handle the stress that comes with being a social media manager.

4. You think strategically (and communicate the strategy).

An effective social media manager understands an organization’s social media goals and attempts to measure results against them. Equally important, they know how to convey strategic goals to colleagues.

5. You are an ensemble player, not a diva.

There are some giant egos in the social media business, a lot of self-proclaimed “gurus” who amass a lot of Twitter followers and land numerous speaking engagements. Many would make lousy social media managers because they see themselves as superstars or saviors. A good social media manager freely gives out credit for successes to teammates and accepts blame for failures.

—————-

I completely agree with Chris, since these qualities are the essence of any CM and SMM, but most companies are not aware or are simply desperate to hire. They are looking for profiles in technology, and people with experience on using the most popular Social Networks. But having the responsibility to represent your brand Online should be a delicate issue to take into consideration. A bad community manager can really harm the image a company has been working on for years. I guess this is an issue for a later post, How are companies dealing with the “I have to be on Social Networks” issue.

Either way remember that there is a distinct difference between a Community Manager and a Social Media Manager, and that each of them play an important role into molding and executing a successful online strategy. If you are looking for these profiles make sure to have both of them on your team, and follow the 5 qualities in order to secure a prosperous interaction with your Online Social Community.

- German Coppola

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share on Linkedin
• Share with Stumblers
• Tumblr it
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

big 5 concept # 2 (technology)

Displax Interactive Systems has announced the launch of a new multitouch screen that can adhere to any surface (except metal) but as thick as a piece of paper!! Yes that´s right! Minority report has final arrived. This new Skin can even detect the movement of the wind. Imagine what we can do with this type of technology in the advertsing world.

Shopping would be easier and faster, entertainment, medicine, security, there are endless and amazing uses for Skin.

A new concept that brings us new horizons in creating interactive interfaces for consumers. This type of innovation is a great example in order to understand the big 5 concept to more detail. It can be categorizes in the Technology section (concept #2) as another alternative when deciding the best way to choose our online marketing campaign. Mixing this concept with Content Media (concept # 5) and Social Interaction can shape a more aggressive and innovating campaign.

Check out the tech specs on the product:

OVERVIEW

Transparent polymer film that can be applied to non conductive materials and turn them interactive. Very thin, it uses projected capacitive technology, making it possible to apply on the back of a glass and detect finger touch on the front of the glass.

BENEFITS

• Turn any non metallic surface interactive
• Display interactive contents in unusual places
• Let your audience engage with you

FEATURES

• Flexible transparent interactive film
• Interactivity goes through non metallic materials up to 17mm of thickness
• Sizes from 30” to116*

SPECIFICATIONS

• MATERIAL: Flexible and transparent electronics polymer
• DETECTION METHOD: Nanowires grid technology polymer-based
• CONNECTION: USB and Serial (different sizes)

-German Coppola

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share on Linkedin
• Share with Stumblers
• Tumblr it
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Big 5 concept #2 (Technology)

Adobe just announced Air based apps on some Android devices by the end of the year. Once again Android is proving to be more powerful as an open source platform than Apple’s iPhone.

According to the news, no approval process will be necessary in order to publish these Air based apps. What does this mean for developers? Imagine the possibilities on design and navigation your apps could have.

One same developed App could be running on all Android phones, regardless the brand or model. Make sure to be running FROYO ( Android 2.2 ) in order to support AIR apps on Droid.

P2P Video Demo – AIR2.5 on Android from Mark Doherty on Vimeo.

desktube.tv + Android + Adobe AIR from DeskTube on Vimeo.

I guess we could have expected this outcome since Apple and Adobe began their little fight this year, and Google seems to be on the right track on interpreting the future of the web through very open systems. At the end the user will be searching for new and better ways to improve their mobile Internet experience.

In this case Apple is trying hard to create a close system where not only the consumer is the affected but also developers are cursed to use one platform to develop these apps.

I still recall the NO-FLASH policy this year and how many developers had to rethink and re-program many apps that had some flash based programming. At the end we all loose. A couple years back Apple exploded when the first SDK came out. Most iPhone users had hacked into their phone and installed apps such as Cydia in order to tap into the wealth of mobile apps. This triggered Apple to launch the SDK in order to control the development and hacking of the apps and phones.

We have seen an increase in Android phones in the market, such examples as the new Nokia X3 hybrid smartphone that seems to mix the “best of both worlds” (touchscreen with keypad). Most brands have decide to drop their original OS, replacing them with Android. They all share one store where you can download apps from, before this each developer had to program individual apps based on brand and model. I guess Google and Adobe are trying to tap into a very beneficial source of income.

In the end the user will decide who wins the new cola wars Iphone or Android. What do you think?

-German Coppola

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share on Linkedin
• Share with Stumblers
• Tumblr it
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later