Using Twitter as a Business Tool
I’ve recently started using Twitter. Or, as the web-savvy would say, I’ve recently started “Tweeting.”
I have to admit that at first i thought Twitter was utterly useless, and much more of a distraction than a tool. however, as i’ve expanded my network and started following people in the field of advertising, i’ve found it to quite valuable. Here’s why:
One of my favorite quotes about marketing/advertising is from a book called “The Cluetrain Manifesto.” It reads:
“Markets are conversations;
and conversation is fire.
Therefore, marketing is arson.”
Twitter allows you to search the millions of conversations people are having online the same way google allows you to search information. So, if you want to learn about the migratory patterns of bottle nose dolphins, google it. But if you want to learn what people are saying about a product or service right now, search for it on twitter. you’ll be amazed what you find.
For example, i just twitter searched “Blackberry Curve,” and saw that someone named MarinaMartin recently said, “i have a problem in that i check email on my blackberry even when my computer is open to gmail.”
Is that something blackberry should build an ad campaign around? surely, no. but is it a valuable consumer insight? of course. if you’re trying to visually tell the story of how addicted people are to our blackberry’s, i think this would do the trick. and it didn’t cost me a focus group to discover it.
It’s all about who you follow, and what sort of information is valuable to you. here’s a quickstart guide to Twitter. I wish I had read it before i started Tweeting myself:
- Download a desktop application to run twitter. I prefer TweetDeck, which can be downloaded here: www.tweetdeck.com
- Using TweetDeck, use the Search function to search industry relevant terms to track who’s talking about things you care about. For example, every time somebody makes a tweet including “Rich Media Advertising”, i can see who that person is and follow them if i like what he/she has to say.
- Perhaps most importantly, check out twitterpacks.pbwiki.com/. This is a great site to help you find Twitterers based on a variety of groups, such as location, industry, interests, company, etc.
Lastly, once you get all set up, don’t forget to say something!
Oh, and be sure to check out twitter.com/RedGrey_Jeremy!!!
(Submission by Jeremy J. Dodd)
eSwing Golf Analyzer
You can have all the latest, greatest and most expensive golf toys, but nothing takes strokes off your game like having a fundamentally sound golf swing. And that’s the approach taken by Rick Plank and eSwing Golf Technologies.
The eSwing Golf Analyzer allows golfers to turn any environment into an interactive driving range with real-time golf instruction and feedback. RedGrey Concepts was tasked with capturing the unique technology of the eSwing Golf suite of products into a single video to raise awareness and aid fundraising.
Video production involved advanced 3D animation mixed with driving range footage and an owner testimonial. We look forward to working with Rick and eSwing Golf Technologies in the promotion of his upcoming product, the trailer-mounted “Drivin Range”.
For more information on video production and pricing, click here:
• Video Production
• Online Video
MIT Enterprise Forum – Future of Advertising
Recently I’ve been volunteering at the MIT Enterprise Forum of the NW (www.mitwa.org), whose mission is to promote the establishment and growth of innovative technology companies through educational and entertaining programs.
I’m co-leading the volunteer team responsible for putting the panel together and selecting a moderator for the event, which is Jan 14, 2009, from 5:00 – 8:30 pm at the Bellevue Hyatt. The moderator will lead the discussion, with well-informed panelists chiming in on our topic, which is a timely one:
MIT TECHNOLOGY FORECAST: Successful Advertising in 2009 and Beyond
The event will look to answer a lot of the questions advertisers are facing given the context of the economy:
- With so many mediums, how do I pick the right technology to hit my target audience without spending a boatload of money?
- What roles will traditional media play over the next few years?
- When cutting back an ad budget, how much is too much?
Without question, if you’re a media buyer, media creator, or an entrepreneur working on the ad platform of tomorrow, this is a must see event!
And if you don’t fit into one of those molds, MIT events are a great opportunity to meet entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate decision-makers in the Greater Seattle Area. RedGrey will be producing a viral video leading up to the event, and will be sure to preview it here.
Lastly, I have to say, in talking with some of the great advertising minds in the seattle area (Wunderman, ParkerLePla, Don’t Blink, GoGoMo, Caliber Data, LiveClicker) AND their clients (Nintendo, AT&T, REI, Starbucks, Nike), I get the feeling that while the days are indeed dark, a new dawn readies on the horizon, and it will be brighter than ever.
So, if you’re starting a new business, running an old one, or find yourself working in your garage on tomorrow’s greatest technology, come to this event and learn a few tricks on how to get people’s attention in a meaningful way. It will be time well spent.
(Submission by Jeremy J. Dodd)
Boeing Classic
Dave gets up and down in his explanation of the process behind making this month’s video. If you wait until the very end you can even hear as he takes and makes the greatest golf shot in the history of mankind.
Take A Stand TV
In the spirit of practicing what you preach (in terms of BEING the message, not advertising AROUND it), we’ve helped produce a project called Take A Stand TV, which profiles the role individual contributors play in large issues relevant to our times. These individuals may not be well-known publicly, but the work they do makes a BIG difference in many people’s lives.
The first episode (shown below), features Paul Figueroa, an anti-violence and conflict prevention specialist. Paul goes to schools, community organizations, corporations and other professional associations, teaching them how to handle tough situations at home and at work.
Please watch Episode 1 of Take A Stand TV. If you want to learn more, go to www.projectstand.com.
Cool stuff!
(Submission by Jeremy J. Dodd)
Great Example of “Less Is More”
Here’s a great ad I saw the other day while watching Lebowski on hulu.com:
Had to drop a shout-out for it because i have yet to see a 15-second pre- or post-roll online video ad that didn’t make me want to gravity test my computer. This little gem caught my eye.
Appealing to people online is a whole other ball game than doing it on television. It’s a different aged audience, with different habits, different interests, and different expectations.
Just because people who watch online video tend to exercise a reduced attention span (sometimes, but not always), doesn’t mean advertisers should attempt to say more, faster, in less time.
So, advertisers, take one thought, one aspect of your client’s product, and highlight it. Don’t be afraid to dive deeper into more focused issues, and to show them in clever ways.
General rules of thumb:
1) Sharing one benefit or aspect of a product/service at a time is enough, and
2) Never assume that your audience’s interests are baser than your own.
This Reese’s ad is a great example of that. it’s 15 seconds long and one sentence. The music is a playfully cool riff off the New Order song “Bizarre Love Triangle,” and the mood of the spot sums up what it’s like to eat candy: so good (for your tastebuds), yet so bad (for your wasteline).
Gotta love it.
(Submission by Jeremy J. Dodd)
HOUSEWares HD Spots – Behind the Scenes
It’s a fact in editing that if one tries to do too much in a single sitting, one’s time and sanity eventually become lost.
During one such “lighter moment,” Dave Hayes decided to tell the “Behind the Scenes” story of the HouseWares branding campaign through the eyes of … a British action figurine.
Listen, it’s not that we don’t take our work very seriously … we really do … by the way, I typed
this blog entry with a pair of popsicle sticks just to see if I could … and I nailed it …
Seriously, though. Check it out. And “Cheerio!” yellow spandex-wearing dude!
(Video by Dave Hayes, Blog Entry by Jeremy J. Dodd)
Online Video is a Different Medium than Television
Interesting article in the WSJ today about online video viewing patterns between men and women.
Don’t read it. I’ll sum up the results for you right here: women like to watch Oprah/US Magazine stuff and men like to watch YouTube. Online. By really, really big margins. Truly a ground-breaking study.
But this part was interesting:
“No,” Jeremy says. “This presents a problem.” I would like to recommend a study and propose the results at the same time. Here it is: Web Video is Different than Television (said 100% of those polled).
Online video shouldn’t be thought of as something you have to advertise OVER or AROUND to reach people and make more money. Online video is something you CREATE to accomplish that.
Tell a story. entertain. Make an audience appreciate and care about your product, service or cause, and they’ll invest in it to the point where they actually care about your success (see Apple). who woulnd’t want customers like that?
Marketers, stop thinking “old.” Don’t associate with the message. BE the message. YouTube’s getting lame, anyway.
if they stop and learn their clients’ businesses, marketers know what types of content attract the right people. so get segregated. Define your business’ target audience and give them what they want.
(Submission by Jeremy J. Dodd)
HOUSEWares Behind the Scenes
This is a “behind the scenes” look at a webvid we did for HOUSEWares in Edmonds. It is part of an online re-branding campaign that includes a Interesting new look website, three online videos, and three 30-second HD spots — all rolling out over the next few weeks.
Cheers!
(Submission by Dave Hayes)
HOUSEWares Edmonds
HOUSEWares, a retailer in Edmonds, WA, initially contracted RedGrey Concepts to produce a single online video. At present, we are responsible for their current website, all three online videos therein, and three HD TV commercials — the latter also included a cable media plan.
The results have been phenomenal, and have led in part to a 20% increase in sales during is most certainly a down economic environment, particularly for retailers.
For more information on video production and media planning, please click below:
