Are You Creating Cut Through?

As I sort through the various ad industry tweets that pop up daily, I am stunned by two things consistently. One is the amount of creativity out there on a global scale, which is always pushing boundaries and always finding new ways to reach people in such unique and engaging forms (SEE Nike Ice Cream Truck Video above). The other thing I consistently see is the herd mentality towards one particular idea, concept or media. At the moment and within my world, it seems to be DOOH signage (digital out of home advertising) and a lot of companies have jumped on this one and are pushing hard towards setting up shop within this domain.


In as far as DOOH goes, I get it. If done right with good content and good locations it can be fantastic. However, those two variables concern me the most as they can often be out of one's control.  Without hitting those two points, the media itself can be lost in the noise of everything else. Your big ad spend in this area can quickly turn into a glorified television set which has simply been placed in an unusual location. 


Does a digital screen in a convenience store window really stop you? Or what about CM's in train stations? Do they ever force you to stop and react? For consumers, is this media new? Do they not watch TV at home and see commercials daily? Have you heard anyone recently talk about a CM and how great it was? In essence does this create pull and pure memorable engagement? 


My point is that we as advertisers, agencies and media firms need to be careful about rushing into things simply for the sake of being able to. Sure things sound fun and the technology could be amazing but ultimately what kind of pull does it create? How does it make things memorable for the intended target?  


As we all know within advertising, if we can create something pure and memorable which can 'physically' elicit a reaction such as a smile, a look of awe, a shriek of excitement or something of that nature the media/content worked. We need not worry about the rest such as the social media play because that will naturally follow if your original strategic play was good.  


In essence, my advice for those of us within advertising is to really re-consider the fundamentals of what the industry is built on, which of course is engagement and ultimately action. The tools to do this have certainly changed and that is what is difficult. However, we need to be wise in choosing the right mix to achieve our aims. 

What Does 'PIE' Have to do with Advertising?

What does PIE have to do with advertising you ask? Well, quite a bit according to a recently launched experiment by the well respected global advertising agency Wieden and Kennedy.

PIE (Portland Initiative Experiment) refers to a project which is just as much ambitious as it is innovative and aims to partner start-ups with big brands and Wieden clients to 'curate technology and innovation.' 

In essence, they are supplying a cauldron in which they can throw in and brew all sorts of good stuff such as start-up creativity, passion along with a healthy dose of real world needs of big brands. All of which they feel could lead to a very interesting concoction which capitalizes on the shared and mutual learning and experiences from brands and the start-ups themselves.

The initiative has already gathered formal support and backing from Coca Cola, Nike and Target.

It works by W & K supplying office space to promising start-ups, up to $18,000 USD and and access to key investors and developers. Brands are to supply mentors which will work with the start-ups as per supplying information and insight along with guidance relating to the exploration of potential brand-alignments and business opportunities.

All in all, as stated it is an ambitious project but one that certainly offers huge potential for all parties involved. In particular, the lessons it offers to advertising start-ups are invaluable and could certainly spell the difference from simply creating a mildly successful business to one that is able to really penetrate and build its models to truly suit what the big fish out there are all after.

Hats off to W & K and I would love to see this experiment catch on in other parts of the world.

Augmented Reality: The Future of Advertising?

What does a combination of computer interactivity, data, social media and the physical world add up to you ask? Well, for some it represents the entire future of advertising. These elements as noted above of course are the key ingredients to the various forms of Augmented Reality (AR) which are taking shape at a rapid pace these days. 


Just the notions of bringing something very static like a magazine, newspaper, poster, or even other physical world elements like buildings, consumer goods and outdoor structures to life has a very exciting appeal.


The biggest offering it allows I feel--and something I tend to harp about a lot within this blog--is the ability of connecting both offline and online media. This type of blending is key to establishing a highly effective connection point between the two realms we all seem to live within these days--namely the digital and physical worlds. Having this allows for the ever shifting and illusive 'top of mind' brand awareness to occur. That of course can then lead on to subtle yet extremely powerful media mixes in which buying decisions are being influenced, promotions realized and true ROI delivered. 


Our tools to 'try' and connect these worlds to date have been comprised of standard traditional media such as television, newspapers, billboards, posters etc. However, as you know these areas are waning in value and effect as they are built on 'push' models rather than the true gold of 'pull'.  As an OOH evangelist, I believe if outdoor is done right it can achieve 'pull' for an advertiser and ultimately make a strong creative connection point. If you throw in a successful AR campaign that pull factor could be massive! 


For perspective, just imagine, you are walking down the street and you have your smart phone out. As you survey the city scape you roll over a McDonalds building and up comes the latest promotions which magically appear in the air above and around the building. After finishing up lunch, you decide to take a stroll through a shopping district as a new pair of Nike's are needed. Once again, you bring up your handy dandy smart phone and enter your search criteria. You then do a 360 degree scan of the buildings nearby. Up pops the latest deals on Nike shoes. Great, you make a decision and enter one shop. Instead of trying on a number of shoes, you decide to grant that privilege to only a few styles. The weeding out process is all about projection mapping 10 or 20 different styles onto your foot. The top 3 are awarded the 'try on'. 


I am sure you get the point. These concepts while already available and possible in some respects are not far off in others. AR offers that unique blend of two distinct and separate universes. It is not hard to recognize the inherent value these technologies could offer with a little more streamlining and penetration. 


Lastly, if you are considering AR I have compiled some very basic tips that should be thought through before any project planning begins:


1. Make it easy to use
*There is no point making it overly complex and incomprehensible. Users will not go for it nor will others be able to endorse it if you need a manual to figure it out


2. Make sure it solves a problem
*Making an AR app for the sake of is not the way to move forward. Do some research and make sure there is a true need and problem 


3. Promote it with other innovative media
*Place the AR on platforms that unto themselves allow for specific targeting and buzz 
(see something like 'Parking Stripe Media' as an idea) 


4. Make it a utility
*Find a way to fit this into a persons life/routine and you have hit the AR jackpot! 


5. Support it
*Do not put this out for a 3 month run and judge. Build media mixes around it, nurture it and give the  investment of not only funds but time to see its worth develop


Have a look at some of these interesting AR campaigns already done for ideas. Or better yet, pick your favorite brand and do a Youtube search. Most big brands have started playing with the technology.