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Archive for november, 2008

Meet the best at Eurobest in Stockholm

Published by on november 29, 2008

 

Next week are many of the best in the advertising world in Stockholm. The reason why they are coming to Sweden is Eurobest are coming to town. If you can make it I recommend that you don’t miss the three-day seminar with speakers from Farfar, Coca-Cola, Apple and Great Works etc. I will report from the seminars from this blogg. Why, to become one of the best is simple to learn from the best. Thanks to Pia Grahn Brikell and college at The Advertising Association of Sweden for bringing Eurobest to Sweden. Pia is the CEO of that organization and also a blogger, check out Pia´s blogg (in Swedish).

Climate change golden opportunities

Published by on november 26, 2008

At a climate change seminar this week did the Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Maud Olofsson open the day with a speech saying “Climate change golden opportunities” and ended it with tears in here eyes when thinking of what world we leave behind for here grandchildren. The evening did continue on with Madeleine Korbel Albrigh, former United States Secretary of State. Madeleine was quick and powerful and gave one of the best speeches I ever seen live. She is a tough lady, so tough that if here eye fell on a polar bear it would have turned into a teddy bear. The speech was full of one-liners like: “America can do better and we will do better.” “Success comes to does how adept early.”
In my interpretation she was saying: “Change is provided by choice.” Witch takes us back to the golden opportunities that climate changes provides. Vattenfall is see this opportunities and join mission with over 155.000 consumers (including me) have signed to fight for climate change (they got over 5 million consumer). Join Vattenfall mission by clicking here.

This commercial video is a nice way in showing how they like you to join in to make a difference. The day did ended with these mindfully words:

We need to agree on change direction, because business as usual will take us to hell.
CEO and President, Lars G Josefsson, Vattenfall

Distanshandel.se: The Day of Distance selling

Published by on november 24, 2008

Last week I did hold a lecture for the distance selling in Sweden (they do sell for 2,3 Billion Euros). It was a full-day seminar called “The Day of Distance selling.” There were other speakers from GooglePaynovaTeliaSonera and 600 visitors that were hungry for new business. It was a really good day and at the end the moderator Kattis Ahlstöm, did ask me: Is it really good to ask the consumer what they want, in other words they don’t know what they want, is it not better to surprise them? I responded: You can do that until some wane else now what they want (then they will not be your consumers any longer).

Advertising as a Yellow Drum Machine

Published by on november 19, 2008

This video is a lot of fun. The robot finds things to drum on and plays music. Many times this is how advertising works today. But it would be great if it could work together for the magic drum group Stomp. Then they could place 1000 yellow drum machines in New York and let YOU to interact with the music by their website: Stomponline.com then advertising would be an creation of art.

See fun the Yellow Drum Machine video. Find out how the robot was made and how to build your own robots at Letsmakerobots.com.

Senseboard.com: Magic software

Published by on november 17, 2008

This Swedish innovation is nothing else than magic. I do have a sense of that its going to standard soon and like Intel inside it will be Senseboard inside in every computer.

Senseboard wearable data entry platform is a small device that attaches to the palm of the hand and allows users to type on any surface as if it were a keyboard. It works by measuring hand and finger movements, and determines the appropriate keystrokes, mouse movements or gestures.
Senseboard.com

Personally I hope for the next step, don’t believe in using my fingers – to think should be enough (but this is an good start).

Don’t think pink

Published by on november 14, 2008

Yesterday I went to a seminar about how to reach women with advertising. I looked forward to hear experts talking about female consumption. It was a bit chocking to listen to some male speakers talking about female consumption (even if they were experts). Then came Lisa Johnson author of bestseller “Don’t think pink.” She is nothing less than 200% woman and a world-class speaker. Lisa also is the CEO of Reach Group Consulting and does consultation for brands as Nike, Starbucks, and Disney. The short version of her lectures that she delivered: Female consumer power is not about paint pink al over your brand. It is not about simple quick fixes to understand woman as a consumer – it is about finding the right wave length by having a structured dialogue with female consumers. It’s about going from push to pull and with that alot changes in advertising.
The longer version is perhaps better to find in her book because she had to short time to deliver al her good points. But here are some of the points I captured. When men go shopping they have a short list with five requirements that should be fulfilled for the product they are buying. Women have five additional requirements or points on their shopping list. The point is that the first five (price, quality etc) are the same but the five additional ones that woman look for are different (environment, social responsibility etc) and much more important for women. A good deal is based on more facts for a woman than for men.
http://www.leblogauto.com/images/dodge_la_femme_brochure_4.jpgLisa showed some bad examples of making products “pink:” Toolbox made in pink with al male tools made in pink. Another example was one of the first cars made for female car buyers, Dodge La Femme (1955-1956). But at the same time pink can also be done right if the purpose is to sell pink product like Sanrio, Hello Kitty. But selling to woman is not about painting the message in pink symbolically to get it right. In other word use phrases as “for woman” only if it is in the right context (such as selling products like lazerblades  or vitamins for women) but even then be careful so you don’t backfire your brand (women are well connected online and “bad pink” spreads like fire online). As Lisa expressed: “Pink is not a hole marketing strategy.”
Lisa’s five steps to reach woman in living today’s consumer power world:
1. Experience (doing things).
2. Transparency (be honest).
3. Reinvention (have an content strategy so you get the right hits on Google.com).
4. Connection (women are so connected today that they are their own social news when they connect online with sites as Facebook.com)
5. Expression (how can woman express themself)
If you follow these five steps well women will start talking and spread word of mouth. But remember “women talk back to brands.” Most brands get scared of “talking-back-consumers” but if you listen you will learn what women demand. Shoe retailer Zappos.com listen so good that they are now earning re than 1 billion dollars by selling shoes (no pink shoes).
Some of Lisa’s advises on how to get woman to spread word of mouth:
1. Ask questions (but learn and respond to their demand). Put some questions on top of your website (it shows that you care about their opinion).
2. Don’t promise a lot instead deliver “over the top.” If your website says that it will take three days for the buyers to get their delivery, deliver in 24 hours instead and women will start to talk.
3. Give women more time. “Woman are time starved.” Women are collective and can share time. Provide “Twinsumers” for each woman. Twinsumer is a person that is expert in a product field that the consumers like to know more about but don’t have the time to search for the facts. The twinsumer gives them the facts they are looking for. Often the twinsumer has similar values and priorities as the female consumer. Let these twinsumers answer their (female consumers) questions in different part of your website to save time (and let them be honest).
To express the need to give woman more time, Lisa ended with this point: Women spend half their life taking care of their kids, and the rest of their life taking care of here parents!
In my opinion a lot of brands could profit on taking care more of female consumers and at the same time give them time, values and meaning in life (that’s what they pay for, so don’t think pink).

Success playground for age 0–100

Published by on november 12, 2008

playground.jpgYou never get to old to play, they say. But still most playgrounds are only made for small kids. Not anymore because of a producer from Finland Lappset are making them for the age of 0–100 so three generations can play at the same playground. It has been a success in Sweden and media is reporting of senior starting to play again. In Sweden this is a big thing because old people are more ore less invisible. But this play concept has been successful in Spain and China before it came to Sweden. I do think this is the future, not al of us can ore need to work – but we need to get out, exercise and meet people.

stefan_engeseth_playing.jpgYesterday I did test it out. Research can be dangerous… Well, I like it but to be seriously this looks a bit dangerous if you are over 65 but at the same time at that age you always live on the edge…

hags.jpg

Here is another producer Hags, here they made design playgrounds that more have a function of being an outdoor gym.

kindercar.jpg

This is another playground, where they use an old truck.  Kids can play on anything.

 

 

 

These playgrounds will also be more ore less a part of our offices. Alan Gregerman did write about the importance of playing at the working offices in his classical book Lessens from the Sandbox.

New edition of my ONE book

Published by on november 10, 2008

My ONE book is sold out and a new edition is out now. It will be available in bookshops soon. The new cover much cooler and the topic of consumer power is more demanded then ever – it was the success formula for Barack Obama and for brands that like to be presidents of their part of the market.

Bond killing Bond

Published by on november 9, 2008

The new Bond movie is so bad that I thought that Bond would kill it self in the end of it, but al he did was killing the brand Bond. 10-15 persons were even walking out from the cinema! The movie has nothing to do with the culture of Bond movies; it’s missing its DNA (like charm and Q). Instead the movie is delivering total meaningless action, with a muscle dude as cram-full as a pit-bull playing Bond. The product placement was more ore less playing the lead rolls “Sony Bond”; witch always is no good because it is not the purpose (a two hour commercial is overkill – even when you kill Bond).
For years I have been saying that it is time for a female Bond movie. Angelina Jolie would I like to see as Bondi and after a success of female soap operas would not the financial part be a problem. Angelina is no pit-bull but she shore now how to train most of them to act better than the one in

Barackobama.com: From 1968 black-gloves to 2008 white-gloves

Published by on november 5, 2008

os_1968_gloves.jpgIt did take 40 years from 1968 OS black-gloves to 2008 change into white-gloves, and the man joining them on top of the winners’ stand is President Barack Obama.
Now it’s not more about what colors we have, it’s about how we can change the world. That is the reason for why we change the black-gloves to white-gloves in the classical picture. We hope that from now will black people how stands for this will have white-gloves and white people black gloves and the rest mix it up to show that the world is not about colors anymore its about change.

I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.
Barack Obama, Election Night 2008

Election Night Speech in Grant Park

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