Why Brands Make Poor 'Friends'

Source: Millennial Marketing

Millennials use social media -- broadly defined as Facebook, text messages, Twitter, and blogs -- to connect with other people. Each is characterized by a different degree of intimacy, with texting the most personal and Twitter the least. But they are all about people interacting with other people.

Brands and social media are not natural partners. It's not that brands are unwelcome, they just don't seem to belong. That makes them easy to ignore, like a guest who has stumbled into the wrong wedding reception. Here's how young adults described their feelings about friending brands on Twitter and Facebook in two online focus groups March 5:

Brands and Celebrities Part 2

Source: Greg Rollett

I saw this ad/video from Tobacco Free Florida and had to post it. It hits home in so many ways and came at the perfect time.

PepsiCo shows brands how NOT to crash the party at SXSW

Source: Hard Knox Life

Every year I make the promise that I will journey to South by Southwest for the Interactive and Music festivals.  Unfortunately, I am on the sidelines again this year.  But thanks to the power of Social Media, I am able to follow the conference this year like never before.  And through that remote following, I’ve been watching a company that is really showing big brands how to act in this new digital space.

Gen-Y Gives Up On Celebrities Hawking Crap

Source: Greg Rollett

Before Chris Brown got all Mike Tyson, he was singing songs for Wrigley's Gum. There are 2 big problems with this scenario:
1. Do I/we believe that Chris Brown feels passionate about the gum? No.
2. Is Chris Brown (remember to think back before the last few weeks) going to make us rush out of our seats and buy the gum? Again No.

When GenY rules the world…or at least the marketing agencies

Source: Youth Marketing Insights

On my never-ending crusade to observe and soak up as much as I can like a little sponge, last week I attended The Digital Tipping Point: The Future of Branding and Social Media, presented by Adknowledge AU (thanks @laurelpapworth for the head’s up on twitter). [NOTE I am editing after post to include Laurel Papworth's correct info, sorry for the slip - it is @silkcharm

Emails Miss Mark for Most of Gen Y

Source: MarketingCharts

Only 28% of those between ages 18 and 24 say the email they currently get from companies is relevant to them, but many in this age group would be more open to more innovative emails they have more control over, according to according to a study from the Participatory Marketing Network (PMN). The study of..

Researchers ‘must evolve with consumers’

Source: Kumeugirl.com

WARC conference hears how research industry must gain new skill sets to glean insight from online consumers

From WARC - UK– The research industry must learn and incorporate a new set of skills to change the way it gains insight from consumers online, according to the Advertising Research Foundation’s (ARF) chief research officer Joel Rubinson.

Transforming Consumer Research Warc Conference Rubinson Vf

View more presentations from Joel Rubinson.

Brands Are Dying; Deal With It

Source: Customer Experience Matters

In my presentation at Adaptive Path’s Mx Conference earlier this week, I mentioned that brands are dying. This turned out to have more of an impact than I thought. Helen Walters from BusinessWeek (who was in the audience) ended up interviewing me and posting a video of our conversation on her blog.

Diet Coke, Duffy and a whole load of dull disappointment...

Source: Ruby Pseudo Want a Word

I can’t believe we haven’t written about this before. I remember seeing the poster for this advert and it actually made me stop, stand still and stifle a laugh. Not because it was funny, or clever, but more that I genuinely didn’t know what else to do.

So the idea of this campaign is to empower women and help them take a stand against the pressures of modern life. So wait for the tagline if you haven’t seen it already… ‘I’m no Superwoman’. Right then.

CMO Survey: Traditional Branding is ‘Broken’

Source: MarketingCharts

An overwhelming majority (87%) of US CMOs and marketing managers believe that branding initiatives need to be more flexible today than in the past, and 63% think traditional brand positioning and advertising are losing their effectiveness and are “broken,” according to a survey from the Verse Group and Jupiter Research. The research found that marketers....

SocNet Ads Not Relevant to 81% of Millennials

Source: MarketingCharts

Though an overwhelming majority (84%) of Millennial internet users notice ads on social networks and nearly three-fourths (74%) click infrequently on them, only 19% find them relevant, and 36% claim they never to click on them, according to research from the Participatory Marketing Network and Pace University’s Lubin School of Business’ Interactive and Direct Marketing ...

Gen Y is hard to reach on social networks too

Source: Econsultancy

according to a study conducted by the Participatory Marketing Network (PMN), going where Gen Y is and actually marketing to Gen Y effectively are two very different things. A panel of 220 Gen Y'ers aged 18-24 were asked about their interactions with brands and advertising on social networks. The results highlight the challenges that marketers have reaching this elusive demographic

A Way To Increase Legal Music Purchases

Source: Another Advertising Wanker

The music industry fascinates me. Especially over the last decade as they fight their war with illegal downloads. We see the labels clinging onto them for dear life. I have an idea which may help them maximise their legal sales and kick start their online relationship with the consumer.

Artisits and labels are making their money from legal album sales and tours predominantly (and if you're a one-hit indie wonder it's royalties from car ads). The trend is that legal sales are decreasing but tours, concerts and festivals are increasing in popularity as music is spread more easily.

50 Youth Marketing Keywords You Need to Know PART TWO (Graham Brown mobileYouth.org)

Source: Slideshare

Graham Brown mobileYouth.org presents part 2 in a new 5 part series covering the 50 keywords and phrases youth marketers

50 Youth Marketing Keywords You Need to Know PART TWO (Graham Brown mobileYouth.org)

View more presentations from Graham Brown. (tags: ethnography drivers)

Motorola - how not to do business

Source: The Equity Kicker

There is an FT interview with Greg Brown, Motorola’s joint CEO, which shows how the company’s handset division has been little short of a lesson in how not to do business.

Full marks to Greg for his honesty and candour, but this is head-in-hands stuff for Motorola shareholders.

Is TV Dying? Broadcast TV Faces Struggle to Stay Viable

Source: Digg

For many decades now, the big four broadcast TV networks have all had the same business plan. But that model, based on attracting enough ad dollars to cover the costs of shows like Lost and ER, no longer appears viable. TV network executives are scrambling for ways to diversify revenue streams in a time when Hulu and Youtube seem to be thriving.

Study: TV Ads More Effective Than Ever

Source: Adweek

There has been no shortage of articles questioning the effectiveness of TV ads in the digital age. And more than one expert has proclaimed: "the 30-second spot is dead." However, a massive study conducted by the Advertising Research Foundation begs to differ.