Talent Imitates, Genius Steals

Like many with a passion for all things creative, I am often on the hunt for something truly inspiration.

When I saw this, my lips curled into a cool smile.

Talent does indeed imitate, but genius certainly steals...

Jack Bauer Has Kidnapped Father Christmas!

There's been a rumour about town.

A rumour I knew wasn't true ever since I was little.

People say Father Christmas isn't real but the video below is living proof that he is and that he has been kidnapped by Jack Bauer of the Counter Terrorist Unit.

I got a man on the inside who managed to sneak this piece of evidence out to me.

Now, I'm going in to go get him out and I need all the help I can get...

If you're in, meet me on the corner of Pulteney Street, Bath, outside the Happy Shopper. We can stock up on Haribo there.

If I don't make it, tell my pet goldfish Talula that I love her and thanks for all the happy memories she's given me. She'll know what I mean...

Until then, good bye.

Christmas Is Not A McDonald's Happy Meal!

I personally love Christmas.

It's a time of the year that really makes you value the important things in life; friends, family, food, intimacy and of course, alcohol.

When I saw this ad I was at my parent's house relaxing in the living room in front of an open fire. I had just eaten my favourite of all dinners, Nanny Tipping's Bean Feast. The family dog, a crazy golden Labrador name Kira was slumped by my side, pooped out from an afternoon walk into the mysterious Exmoor forest. I personally could not have been any happier...

But then I saw the ad below and my happiness was struck so far into the abyss that it was as if I had just taken part in a staring contest with the Chthonic Greek monster Medusa.

As I have said in the title of this post, Christmas is not a McDonald's happy meal!

Replacing the lyrics of a traditional Christmas carol with McDonald's orders is taking things too far!

Instead of serving baked apple pies on their menu someone should serve them up a good helping of humble pie!

Da da da da da, I'm not loving it!!!

Viva La Revolution!

The video below depicts two French women walking the streets of Paris in not only niqabs but also rather revealing mini-skirts...

The video is a response to France's newly approved ban that prevents Muslim women from wearing niqabs.

They state in an interview that,

"We were not looking to attack or degrade the image of Muslim fundamentalists – each to their own – but rather to question politicians who voted for this law that we consider clearly unconstitutional. To dictate what we wear appears to have become the role of the state."

I personally love it! It has a kind of, "Power to The People" feel about it.

It is also a great example of a grassroots pr stunt and of how pr can be utilised by anybody, not just powerful groups and organisations.

It is also important to briefly mention how such a political protest would not be able to gain such momentum without mediums like youtube and etc.

Now, what can I do to exert a little pressure on the government to get my student load decreased...

Any suggestions?

Little Willy Wonderer

Apparently, this is the most successful viral ad to date with over 8 million views across various incarnations.

It’s a superb piece of animation and I love the way that music is used to shape the mood of the poor aspiring willy.

What this ad demonstrates is the freedom available to marketers through viral ads.

The piece is a wee bit explicit in its imagery which is part of the reason why it is so compelling.

Such clever use of “toilet tags” and cartoon like representations of the human sexual anatomy would not be able to be used by conventional marketing methods.

It is for this reason why the ad has resonated so profoundly with the public and the message is as clear and poignant (if not more so!) than any traditional public health campaign.

There Ain’t No Blood in My Body, Only Liquid Soul in My Veins…

Drinks brand Burn has launched a series of films depicting ‘underground’ real-life characters and their stories. They’re raw, authentic and inspirational.

However, the first thought that came to my mind when I saw this film was not from a marketing perspective.

It was one that made a link from the modern to the post-modern…

During the 19th century a musical movement started called, “Tin Pan Alley”. Back then, when racism was rife in America, musical instruments were reserved for the wealthy and for the white.

Slave communities used every-day household objects to create sounds and their own music. The beginning of blues was born.

Philly rapper Julius Wright uses pens to lay down awesome grooves and drum licks. Is this post-modern tin pan alley? I don’ know…

I love the characters, their stories and their raw talents. From a marketing point of view, the values conveyed via the medium and the message are transferred onto the brand. They also serve to define a community. What’s your thoughts?

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Saving The Ol' Pennies

This piece came from some research I conducted into consumer buying behaviour when working for a successful Appliance Retailer. Take a looksy…

A consumer looking to buy a particular appliance will not go to the web site offering the cheapest price and buy it then and there.

This would be regarded as brash and insensible, especially within the current economic climate. There is also a huge commercial trend to “Compare the Market”, especially when a customer will be spending over a few hundred pounds.

Therefore, a customer will often search for what other competitors have to offer.

SEO is obviously a vital factor here as well as PPC ads to ensure that your company has substantial, ‘Share of Voice” in Google.

The top three or four companies listed in a Google organic search and its accompanying PPC ads will normally be viewed.

So, What Does This Mean?

One can argue that customers will therefore ‘Scout’ out a variety of competitors to see if they offer any alternative values.

For example, some companies will offer free delivery, some will offer a quick delivery, some will offer gift vouchers and some will offer a mixture of all three. A customer therefore has a lot to consider when deciding, “What is best for me?”

This ‘scouting’ element in the way customers purchase items can cost an e-commerce firm a small fortune in PPC marketing.

For example, if a Google PPC ad does not contain the price of a product, the estimated delivery time of a product and whether or not that product is in stock, a customer will ‘scout’ into a website to acquire that information and leave almost instantly once that information has been acquired. Anyone thinking of why they are receiving such a high bounce back rate?

It is therefore vital to supply the customer with the information he/she wants instantly.

To expand, I made a few phone calls to numerous appliance retailers and asked about certain products and the first piece of information every sales person attempted to locate was if the product was in stock. More often than not, the products were also not in stock. Within the kitchen appliance industry, a one off buyer or repeat purchaser will therefore quickly realise that most companies will advertise a product on their site, yet it may not be in stock. Customers may well have to wait for a prolonged period unless they decide to go scouting again, which they normally will do as customers want their appliance/s immediately. But when does the price of a product become detrimental to the time it is delivered? Your thoughts?

By supplying customers with a product’s availability within a PPC ad, there is the potential to save money as the customer will not have to click on the PPC ad and be directed to the landing page to find such information out. You will also be saving them time.

To conclude, you cannot over estimate the importance of sound copy writing in PPC ads! Ask yourself, 'What do our customers want to know?' and supply that information concisely. There isn't much space for spin in PPC ads!

In this case, by including within product ppc ads the price of a product, the estimated delivery time and if that product is in stock, the need for a customer to to scout your web site is reduced, thus, reducing you PPC expenditure.

By supplying such information within the first, ‘Customer Gateway’ (your PPC ad), you will then witness, ‘Scout Snipers’ coming to your website who are fully informed and in a position to make a pinpoint purchase.

A limitation to this thesis however is that even when you do advertise all the relevant information, a customer may click on your site to view the design and brand as these features will indicate to the customer values of integrity and authenticity.