engagement = reach

Tailoring ads to audiences may as an advertiser feel like an extra expense, can't we just run the quite cool ad across multiple territories and audiences? afterall, it did cost a bomb and that wrap party didn't pay for itself.

On the contrary, it is probably the best opportunity a 'big' advertiser has to emphasize and align themselves with a particular audience or individual. It's not enough any more to say 'we're big, come join' - if the ad doesn't interest, it won't get talked about or shared. Individuals now expect for an ad to engage and be compelling, if it isn't it will fall away into the black hole of forgotten ads.

As the shareability/talkability of an ad becomes more important to an advertiser something really interesting happens. Reach, the tv planning byword and central pillar of TV advertising success makes way for engagement for without engagement (in an online context) you will not gain any reach. Only interesting things spread virally - it's like a darwinian survival of the interesting

JMC - Safecracker

We've recently been working with JMC to launch his debut album - 'Safecracker'

it's been getting props from all over the industry including the one and only Tim Westwood, check out the lead single 'they mc'

Death by Powerpoint or Death of the Salesman?

What has happened to the quality of media salespeople in the UK?

Most completely miss the point about what they are aiming to achieve when they meet media buyers. I cant remember the last rep who really tailored a meeting to the client being discussed, or who asked any intelligent questions to try and find out about a client brief properly. Most rely on standard, uninspiring powerpoint presentations that achieve nothing other than alienating the people they are presenting to. The best presentation I ever saw was Viacom (now CBS) who did a 3 minute presentation on the benefits of cross-track posters on the underground - punchy, funny and very memorable. If only more reps would remember this is a still a people business and they need to engage and stimulate their agency contacts when they go to meet them.....

searching for the perfect environment

Facebook may get all the headlines when it comes to social media just because it has the biggest and most diverse audience does this make it the best choice for brands wanting to reach the various tribes populating the world of web 2.0

Well I'm going to stick my neck out there and say last fm is actually a much tighter proposition that understands how brands can integrate into the site and engage with audiences without it looking too 'us and them'

This is mainly because of the difference in subject matter between the two site - facebook is your social / communication time, brands are seen to be interrupting rather than engaging on this channel unless they can create something compelling enough for users to pass onto their friends. Last FM offers endless content from bands, artists and ultimately brands and is hence a much more comfortable environment for all concerned.

If you're the next adidas or vans, you need to be on this site

ESC do You Tube

Our client, The Electrical Safety Council now have a you tube channel, probably worth checking before you dust off those christmas tree lights and put the illuminated santa on the roof.

Church vs Search Engine

Focus on the finite

Changing your strategy during a recession, good or bad idea?

I think it can be looked at from two angles, you could emphasize with the consumer by aligning your message with something of relevance to them or stick to the core (pre doom and gloom) message, what's right for you depends entirely on how aspirational your brand is and what the customer is buying into when they hand over their hard earned cash.

One way of getting round this problem is to create a strategy based around perks, keep the price points the same but introduce 'money can't buy' incentives. Just look at the music industry, we can all get hold of the album at the click of a button but those tickets to the gig are a lot harder to get, give access to those and there is a big potential for retaining a strong brand consumer relationship through the hard times ahead

Kangaroo loses it's bounce

Great piece from Emily Bell at the Guardian about the reigning in of Kangaroo.

So frustrating how a technological advance can be halted by an out of date mentality that is yet to catch up with the potential power of online demand TV. They managed it in the states - if we're not careful the competition commission could put a rather large hurdle in the way of technological advance, increased consumer convenience and investment that wouldn't happen without this kind of collaboration.