Prius Billboard offers sweet, fun interactivity

The new Prius Billboard in Times Square gives iPhone users the chance to upload their drawings to be displayed on the board. This is a fantastic wave of creative advertising that breaks the boundaries of interactive. Out of the box ideas, like this one, get you noticed, get you viral and build up brand loyalty. This kind of advertising can be done on any level and at any scale.  Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean you can’t think out of the box.

Social Media is Killing Business

I just read an article in Ad Age Digital that inspired me to write this blog post. The article entitled “Why I Hate Social Media” by Matt Jones struck a chord with me for many reasons and I absolutely agree with his premise.

To summarize the article, Matt is explaining how marketers are taking their same, old, stale ideas and translating them into social media. He says, “Let’s get really radical and stop trying to keep marketing 1.0 thinking alive with Web 2.0 media.” He is very clear that he is not discounting the social web or the transformative power the technology holds. He claims that there are brands who are utilizing these tools for the betterment of their consumers and companies, but at the same time, there are those brands that totally miss the mark on authenticity and the proverbial “point” of social media. All this brings him to the conclusion that instead of intensifying their mundane messages, companies should focus on creating better stories. The line I love the most is “Most people are still looking for real things: experiences, connections, value, stories, emotions.”

Cartoon by Geek and Poke

That line is what I want to talk about.

It is so easy to get caught up in what’s new and right now [social media] that many other important marketing aspects are left to the wayside. How often have you heard someone complain that Comcast gives better service on Twitter than they do in “real life.” In my opinion, then what’s the point? You can create a tantalizing message via social media, but if you can’t follow through with TRUE value and experiences, then it is completely useless. By true value, I am referring to what a customer actually receives when connecting with your brand. Businesses that are in a B to C environment especially need to put effort into the experiences and authentic emotional connections with their customers. When this happens, your customers will become your biggest fan and advertise for you through their positive recommendations and word of mouth!! This is the ultimately goal.

So the question remains, how does your brand create those stories…stories that engage, connect, and create emotional impact?

I don’t think anyone says it better than Seth Godin. Seth wrote an article for ODE Magazine, entitled “How to Tell a Great Story.” I have included it below:

A great story is true. Not necessarily because it’s factual, but because it’s consistent and authentic. Consumers are too good at sniffing out inconsistencies for a marketer to get away with a story that’s just slapped on.

Great stories make a promise. They promise fun, safety or a shortcut. The promise needs to be bold and audacious. It’s either exceptional or it’s not worth listening to.

Great stories are trusted. Trust is the scarcest resource we’ve got left. No one trusts anyone. People don’t trust the beautiful women ordering vodka at the corner bar (they’re getting paid by the liquor company). People don’t trust the spokespeople on commercials (who exactly is Rula Lenska?). And they certainly don’t trust the companies that make pharmaceuticals (Vioxx, apparently, can kill you). As a result, no marketer succeeds in telling a story unless he has earned the credibility to tell that story.

Great stories are subtle. Surprisingly, the fewer details a marketer spells out, the more powerful the story becomes. Talented marketers understand that allowing people to draw their own conclusions is far more effective than announcing the punch line.

Great stories happen fast. First impressions are far more powerful than we give them credit for. Great stories don’t always need eight-page colour brochures or a face-to-face meeting. Either you are ready to listen or you aren’t.

Great stories don’t appeal to logic, but they often appeal to our senses. Pheromones aren’t a myth. People decide if they like someone after just a sniff.

Great stories are rarely aimed at everyone. Average people are good at ignoring you. Average people have too many different points of view about life and average people are by and large satisfied. If you need to water down your story to appeal to everyone, it will appeal to no one. The most effective stories match the world view of a tiny audience—and then that tiny audience spreads the story.

Great stories don’t contradict themselves. If your restaurant is in the right location but had the wrong menu, you lose. If your art gallery carries the right artists but your staff is made up of rejects from a used car lot, you lose. Consumers are clever and they’ll see through your deceit at once.

Most of all, great stories agree with our world view. The best stories don’t teach people anything new. Instead, the best stories agree with what the audience already believes and makes the members of the audience feel smart and secure when reminded how right they were in the first place.

Social Media is an excellent avenue for getting your story out, but just make sure you have the “real stuff” to back it up.

Did you know??? —WATCH THIS!

This video was forwarded to me early today and after watching, my jaw dropped. Everyone knows that the world is changing (through technology) faster than we can imagine, but some of this information will blow your mind.

The video was show at Sony’s executive conference this year as to help everyone get a grasp on reality. Take the five minutes to watch — I’m know you’ll be glad you did.