February 2010
1 post
Guest interview: Sean Rad, CEO of ad.ly on...
Read more here: http://bit.ly/9BoNrH Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
January 2010
8 posts
Do ad agencies have a future? The what, how and...
Social media has done more than connect consumers in ways never imagined before. It has done more than challenge brands that traditionally communicate with consumers by dictating behavior in a “push” rather than “pull” strategy. Social media has also redefined the short and long-term roles of advertising agencies. Here’s why. Traditionally brands have broadcast their messaging to consumers with...
On purpose: Why some brands have already failed in...
I’ve written often about the need for a brand to define who it is and what its core values are. I wanted to take that further by saying that it is equally critical to define the goals of a brand in terms of purpose for the year. Without doing so a brand is likely to slip backwards within a marketplace that is moving so fast. You only need to look at the leadership positions Nike, Pepsi, Starbucks...
One good idea deserves another: Book giveaway
As my way of saying thank you for all the incredible feedback and support I’ve received in the past year, I’ve decided to launch a book giveaway. These are all books that I have read or am reading as research and think are worthwhile. (Your book will be new of course!) It’s a great way to keep good ideas flowing among us and a small way to say thanks for sharing your time and thinking. So here’s...
Nike Just Does It Again: New Local/Social 'True...
Nike released a new iPhone app last week that demonstrates why they continue to be a marketing leader. Called True City, it provides unique insight into six European cities by detailing information that only people who live in that city would know. Basically, an insider’s guidebook to London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Milan, Paris and Barcelona. What’s unique about the app is that it combines premium,...
Consumers say "Catch us if you can". Pepsi and...
I really appreciated the fantastic feedback on this week’s post about The Death of Corporate Websites. Lo and behold, last night I spy a quote (thanks, Frank Reed) from Anne Carelli, Digital Marketing Manager for Coke saying: “Several years ago, Coke realized that Coke.com is not their home page – it is Google.com, digg.com and YouTube. Take the time to keep abreast of what is showing up for...
Celebrity to go: Personal-ilty apps that take us...
Image credit: Brian Solis on iTunes Just before the holiday break, Brian Solis, the highly respected PR strategist moved the blogosphere one step forward yet again. By launching his own app, he not only gave himself a powerful tool through which to interact with his community, but he also kicked off a trend that is likely to grow exponentially in popularity. (Here’s another app launched by...
The death of corporate websites: Top ten ways they...
Cartoon Credit: Dave Coverly @ Creators.com In the not too distant future static corporate websites will be replaced by their social equivalents. This will happen because more and more consumers are engaged in daily conversations, often involving brands, across multiple applications, platforms and networks, wholly independent of these sites. As these conversations become increasingly independent...
Top ten digital trends for 2010
It feels SO good to be in 2010. 2009 was full of upheaval for many reasons, not the least of which was changes in digital marketing. So let’s kick start the New Year will a look at some powerful trends that will shape the coming year. 1. WHERE YOU ARE IS WHO YOU ARE In the past year we have seen a powerful increase in the mainstream adoption of social media. With the increase in popularity of...
December 2009
9 posts
Retrenchment and the power of re-
Re-cession. We’re in the middle of it and people are talking about their jobs, livelihood and future. According to the Huffington Post, jobless claims rose in 46 states last week, with California posting it’s highest jobless rate in three decades (11.2%). What’s more, while the economy tanks technology continues to change industries and the way we do business under our feet. As a result many...
Guest Interview: Jay Samit, CEO, Social Vibe, on...
Read more here: http://bit.ly/8vXB7m Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
Nike, Livestrong, & social media: Why this work is...
Social media is not an end in itself. It’s not there to create ‘arm’s length’ relationships that exist only in “cyberspace” sheltering participants from intimacy through relative anonymity. Social media is there to enhance our experience of the real world. To allow us to connect, collaborate and inspire one another so that we might enrich our lives and the lives of those around us. That’s what...
Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix, on...
Read more here: http://bit.ly/6AoyjU Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
Success in 2010? It's a question of nerve
It’s the end of the end and finally – finally! – 2010 is here. Like many people I’m relieved to welcome in 2010. 2009 was one crazy roller coaster. So I thought I’d share a guest post about how to thrive next year. It’s all about nerve and how to use it to your advantage in uncertain times. The post appears on FindYourNerve.com It’s a great grassroots site designed to encourage and inspire...
Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix, on...
Read more here: http://bit.ly/4Sk9MF Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
A glance back at the future of social media
This has been a transitional year, partly spent recovering from the trauma of the Great Recession and partly spent adjusting to shifts in power in the marketing industry. Everyone from brands and advertising agencies to their employees have been reeling from one change after another. One of the many unsettling aspects was the rise of social media. I consistently heard the same questions. Is it a...
Special interview: Rishad Tobaccowala on...
Read more here: http://bit.ly/7lYDJC Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
How advertising handles the chaos of social media
Dan declares the pie contest winner! Pic: W+K Blog Last week I experienced a strange collision of circumstances. I was up at the University of Oregon working with students who are specializing in advertising, media and journalism. At the same time I got the chance to visit my old agency, Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, and catch up with Dan for the first time in 7 years – it was even the annual pie...
November 2009
15 posts
Top ten advantages of social over traditional...
Credit: Hubspot As traditional and social media duke it out for the leadership role in commanding consumer attention, it’s worthwhile to highlight some of the undeniable benefits of social media. Here are ten that quickly come to mind. 1. Cost: There are almost no barriers to entry in creating or distributing social media content. Or put another way, beyond your time and production costs, it’s...
How to face the future of advertising
Read more here: http://bit.ly/5O5ok3 Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
Ten things the JK wedding taught us about social...
Now that the confetti has settled, and that wedding video has been consigned to the ‘one hit wonder’ file of Internet history (complete with its own parody below), it seems appropriate to consider what might be learned from such a startling sensation. Content that resonates so loudly across culture and the internet (12 million views in 10 days) inevitably possesses certain qualities we can learm...
Prius 'harmony': What Toyota did differently to...
http://simonmainwaring.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/solar-flowers-toyota-prius__PDDEk_691.jpgI recently worked as a writer on the new Prius ‘Harmony” campaign for Saatchi & Saatchi, LA (led by Mike McKay and Andrew Christou – full list of credits below). While the ads are on television a lot, there are less visible aspects to the campaign that – from a marketing point of view – are...
How to blog your way to community
Here’s the full video from the WireDrive-sponsored, Blog Out Loud, “Belong: Building a Blog Community” event. It features a series of industry panelists discussing the practice, merits and value of blogging and using social media. Here are some things we discussed: Read more here: http://bit.ly/35NhRG Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
Meaning: The new measure of a brand or marketer's...
In 1964, Marshal McLuhan made the famous statement: “The medium is the message”.More recently, Stowe Boyd stated, “Meaning is the new search.” I would like to add something to this trajectory of thought: Meaning is media. We are all now capable of being content producers. As a result, the traditional distinction between media silos – television, newspaper, and magazines – is increasingly...
Surviving social media with your creativity intact
I don’t know about you but I am awe-struck and often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available to us each day over the web. Add to that the real-time capacity of social media and it’s easy to feel under siege from new technology. While it isn’t life threatening, it can be deadly to your creativity. That’s why my constant companion over the last five years has been a voice recorder...
Retrenchment and the power of re-
Re-cession. We’re in the middle of it and people are talking about their jobs, livelihood and future. According to the Huffington Post, jobless claims rose in 46 states last week, with California posting it’s highest jobless rate in three decades (11.2%). What’s more, while the economy tanks technology continues to change industries and the way we do business under our feet. As a result many...
Biz Stone on twitter in Cannes in real time (well,...
Having just heard Biz Stone speak at the Cannes Advertising Festival seminar, it seems appropriate to share the highlights as quickly as possible. Firstly, super laid back, approachable guy who is refreshingly down to earth despite all the success and hype around his brand. Here’s a snapshot of his main points. What Twitter is: Definition: A communication network for sharing and discovering...
Guest interview: Joe Shands, creative director
More here: http://simonmainwaring.com/blog/ Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
Top ten things a brand must be to go social
So often we hear that a brand wants to go social – that is, to be organically shareable, a hub for substantive conversations around mutual concerns and values, a place where customers return as a focal point in their lives. Yet in my experience that often isn’t possible because a brand hasn’t done the basics, the simple things that must occur before any social media strategy can succeed. Here are...
Optimism in practice
This is where Elizabeth Gilbert, speaking at TED, is so wonderful. In discussing the pressure she felt to write a follow-up novel equal to the success of her international bestseller, ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, she articulated in brilliant terms where the responsibility for those much needed ideas or solutions resides. To everyone’s relief, she explains, it is not with us. Read more here:...
Social media theory in practice: Real client,...
I recently had the chance to work with a great brand, Brine (top lacrosse brand in the country), and their partner ad agency, JWT Detroit (whose digital arm and Honest deserve huge props for building the site and app so quickly). The challenge was to bring a little edge to the brand without cannabilising the sense of unity and sportsmanship already associated with the Brine. Working with...
Guest interview: Lawrence Azeerrad, LAD Design
Here are few examples of Lawrence’s design work… (read more here: http://bit.ly/4Euct4) Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
So-Me, Mo-Co, Uh-Oh! Social media's hunger for...
Image: isteconnects.org In a world of 140 characters it’s hardly surprising that our appetite for snappy reductions is insatiable. So as SoMe (Social Media) gives way to MoCo (Mobile Community), I couldn’t help but wonder how far it will go and what the past might have looked like if it was boiled down to the same real time acronyms… (read more here: http://bit.ly/2ftjfr) Posted via...
October 2009
19 posts
Top ten things brands forget in their rush to...
1. BE HUMAN No matter what you say, or where you say it, people won’t hear you unless they can see themselves in your brand. So speak from a human truth. It can be funny, thoughtful, serious or stupid. That’s how people really are. If you don’t, you and your potential customer might as well be two deaf people shouting at each other. 2. TO REACH SOMEONE’S HEAD, GO THROUGH THEIR HEART Facts are...
Guest interview: Jesse Dylan, TEDMED speaker and...
Jesse Dylan is speaking today at TEDMED discussing his new healthcare non-profit, Lybba. It just received a coveted NIH grant and has enormous potential to transform the healthcare experience for millions of people around the world. Here’s a sneak peak at Lybba… (read more here: http://bit.ly/1SEWGq) Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
First lady, Michelle Obama, on Jay Leno last night...
Last night everyone who worked on the ‘iParticipate’ campaign was thrilled to see the First lady take the opportunity on Jay Leno to once again support the campaign and specifically, veterans and military families. Thank you to everyone at the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Freeform, Katalyst, Schematic, all four TV networks and our corporate sponsors who worked so hard to make it happen....
My revealing first video (no, really)
Starting this week, I’ll be sharing video interviews on my blog. (read more here: http://bit.ly/1evEwP) Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
Angry twitter, clever friendfeed: A lesson in...
The acquisition of friendfeed by facebook was more than the latest battle in the war for social networking supremacy. It was a timeless lesson in creating desire. The strategic positioning of friendfeed made their brand more than desirable. It was irresistable. Here’s a few reasons why and how they did it: KNOW WHO YOUR BOSS IS: While facebook and twitter vied for supremacy, friendfeed...
When others' needs bring out the best in ourselves...
This week was the official launch of the national “iParticipate” campaign. As one of the team members that created the campaign, I wanted to thank the networks, talents agents and stars for doing something unprecedented – uniting all four networks around a single cause. It’s yet one more milestone on the way to massive, positive social change for so many people in desperate need around the...
What GOOD magazine is doing to make us even...
Credit: GOOD Magazine I follow GOOD magazine on twitter and have been receiving tweets about the first ever GOOD 100, which celebrates the most exciting entrepreneurs of the year. So I went to their site and spent some time exploring the companies that are changing the way we live. Each of them is brilliant and inspiring in their own right (I thought Umair Haque’s entry was spectacular), yet...
Seeing through other's eyes: Social media and...
There’s no doubt social media makes the world smaller – friends and family across the country and around the globe are only a click away.
There’s also no doubt that as frontrunners like twitter and facebook monetize their business plans, social media will prove to be a goldmine for those left standing.
What is often overlooked in the rush for friends, influence or money, is the ability of...
If only social media were that simple
This funny and oh-so-true illustration comes courtesy of StuffThatHappens.com and it rightly got a lot of attention for stating the principle of simplicity in product design and usability. Yet I couldn’t help thinking that its message has much wider applications… (read more here: http://bit.ly/2Vg8lB) Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
Who's sorry now? CEOs that do more harm than good
This week something extraordinary happened. Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor, apologized. Actually, he did far more than that. Here’s what he did… (read more here: http://bit.ly/1meGaX) Posted via email from Simon’s posterous | Comment »
If you want go viral get out of the way
The great folks at Mashable posted this engaging viral video yesterday, rightly arguing that VW had hit the bulls-eye when creating this viral campaign. It not only confirmed their theory that making the world more fun can improve people’s behavior, it also demonstrated a fact that is easily forgotten as we over-think marketing and new media – everyone is innately qualified to create blockbuster...
Growing up online: Building a brand in an...
And with a simple snip with the ceremonial ribbon-cutting scissors…voila!…my new website is live. Phew! Like a proud parent I wistfully thumb through the mental photo album of my online brand. I chuckle at my clumsy first steps using Mac’s iWeb template. I smile proudly at the adolescent ambition of my first logo and brand identity (The ‘M’ and ‘W’ made a double diamond- more voila-ness!). And...
ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA: WHAT DIGITAL INTIMACY MEANS FOR...
The chart above does a handy job of breaking down the various choices available to us for communication. On the one hand, its easy to interpret this variety of choice as freedom, and equally easy to imagine that such freedom enriches our lives. On the other hand, the choices above (most of which did not exist ten years ago) also have us splintering our self image across many communication...
WHAT I LOST WHEN I FOUND YOU: LIFE AFTER SOCIAL...
A Face Book
Last week’s post about digital intimacy generated some great debate about how our lives have been changed by social media. It seems appropriate to look back and have some fun with what we might have lost on the way:
I miss losing touch with you.
I miss the challenge of trying to distil the last six years of my life into a thirty-second soundbite.
I miss life and memory and time...
