3 Creative Campaigns on #WorldBloodDonorDay

Blood feeds our body’s organs with the necessary oxygen and nutrients to survive. Blood is the highway which transports hormones to keep our body in top condition. Blood carries our body’s soldiers, the antibodies to fight off infections and disease.

Blood is life.

Blood gives life.

To celebrate World Blood Donor Day (14 June) here are 3 creative campaigns designed to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations.

1. Pay with blood – Untold Festival (Romania, 2015)

In 2015, there was a serious shortage of blood donors. So serious that people have died because hospitals could not perform blood transfusions due to lack of blood.

The same year, Untold Festival launched its first edition. To raise awareness on the blood shortage our country was struggling with, Untold created the Pay With Blood campaign.

The campaign leverages the world famous myth of Dracula to gain media attention but puts a 180 spin on it: this time Dracula doesn’t take blood, he gives blood.

In order for this campaign to yield results in the real world – bring donors to the blood collecting centres countrywide – Untold organizers offered a price discount to all donors attending the festival.

2. #MissingType – NHS Blood and Transplant (UK, 2015)

People are different and so is their blood.

There are four main blood types: A, B, AB and O being the most common among people. All four blood types must be available for transfusions.

To illustrate that blood donation is about diversity as much as it is about quantity, the NHS Blood and Transplant authority (UK) launched the Missing Type campaign during the 2015 National Blood Week.

The campaign’s message – You won’t miss it when you give it; but patients could miss it if you don’t – was creatively expressed by asking people, brands and organisations to remove the letters A, B and O from their names, signage and logos.

Our names contribute to our identity so drawing a parallel between the missing letters in our names and the missing blood types was a simple but powerful idea.

3. Blood connects us all – the World Health Organization (2016)

Blood donation is protected by certain ethical and legal considerations which ensure the anonymity between blood donors and the recipients of their blood. They don’t know whose blood saved their lives.

But what if they did?

That’s what the 2016 campaign created by the World Health Organization focused on: helping blood donors realize they are not anonymous to the people they saved and acknowledge them as heroes.

 

Internet of Things and Marketing – 5 Predictions

Smart products use the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. It is changing the world.

But what does that translate to in the marketing world?

What can be expected in the years to come?

How will branding and marketing strategies have to change to capture this new emerging market?

Keep reading to discover 5 predictions regarding the way the Internet of Things (IoT) will change and improve marketing.

What is a smart product?

Smart devices have the ability to connect to the internet. This also enables a smart product to connect to another device. It makes use of IoT technology to establish connections to the internet and other products.

Smart products help to create new ways of automation. You can track, monitor, and control a smart product with another smart device.

What is IoT?

The Internet of Things is the giant network on which smart devices share information.

IoT data is stored in cloud technology and guarded by companies like manufacturers, marketers and other online service providers.

5 Predictions for IoT and Marketing

IoT technology is shaking things up. It’s changing the very face of many industries.

From manufacturing to healthcare, new depths of information are available. It is disrupting business as usual.

1. New Digital Devices Will Be Created

A need has caused the birth of many an invention. Smart devices have many more applications available. But, these devices will cause new needs to arise. Look at the rate at which portable and rechargeable power banks have spread across the world. People want on-demand recharging for their devices. The need for electricity in remote places has birthed an invention. Just so will IoT and its needs birth new inventions.

2. IoT Data Will Change Contextual Marketing

Millions of smart devices are already in operation all over the world. Big data is an understatement when it comes to harnessing worldwide IoT data. Users and customers will be tracked over the various products they own and use.

Marketers are able to pinpoint certain behaviours and preferences of customers. Marketing campaigns will be much more focused to try and increase their turnover rate. It may very well increase customer engagement due to new access to information previously unavailable.

3. IoT Data Will Be the Modern Day Gold Rush

IoT data and its uses will enjoy very high demand. And a higher demand always drives a higher price. IoT data will be expensive.

Companies from every imaginable industry will look for more comprehensive information. Information regarding their productivity, customers’ needs, industry trends, and other forecasting and budgeting related information. IoT data will supply the answers that will help companies to enhance productivity, sharpen execution, and retain customers.

4. Marketing Agency Roles Will Evolve

Advertising agencies have some of the smartest and sharpest brains around. People who can somehow connect the dots in seeming madness. The creativity of these agencies has captured the imaginations of the public through carefully crafted campaigns for its customers. They create and keep a following that leads to higher sales and revenues.

But, IoT data brings a new role into play. Agencies will also have to look into the data analytics and presentation of IoT data. IoT information about customers and their behaviours will change the marketing game. Agencies need to know how to gain the right information and also how to apply it. This type of information will lead to better results for its customers.

5. More Timely and Better Personalized Marketing

Online marketing can become overbearing and irritating to internet users. Much worse, it could be irrelevant. Irrelevant marketing is about as effective as a vacuum cleaner in a desert. It does its job but to no real effect.

IoT data will help marketers to create personalized and tailor-made campaigns for individual customers. It can even track specific actions and behaviours of customers to enhance customer engagement and turnover. That’s because data-driven relationships happen in the following order.

Data-Driven Relationships Process:

• More connected devices;
• Leads to more information;
• Leads to smarter data;
• Leads to relevant campaigns;
• Leads to increased customer engagement.

Marketers will be able to recognize where customers are in their lifecycle stage. The marketer will be able to guide customers to specific solutions that are relevant.

5 Ways Marketers Will Use IoT

So how will marketers then use this new type of information?

Here are a few ways that will change the marketing game.

1. Analyse Customer Buying Habits Across Platforms

Marketers will for instance track and monitor the devices that are used by a customer. They will notice certain habits on different devices. They will apply the relevant campaigns to the specific devices owned by a user.

2. Harness Information Previously Unavailable

Every smart device that connects to the internet will supply information. Users’ habits can be tracked in every room of their homes. Smart refrigerators will even track customer behaviour.

3. More Precise Information About Customer Lifecycle Stages

The customer’s lifecycle can be pinpointed with greater success. Marketers will understand the customers’ needs better. This will help to guide customers towards a sale much faster.

4. Enhance Customer Relations and Resolve Issues

Smart technology has narrowed the gap between the customer and the product or service provider. Customer grievances will be resolved much faster. It will even help facilitate something as tedious as product recalls with a customer specific approach. The marketing expenses will be kept low by only contacting customers with affected products.

5. Better and More Specific Marketing

The team from SafeAtLast says that IoT is changing the marketing game. Use it to your advantage and gain the success that comes with it.

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4 Creative Sports Video Campaigns in 2018

Brands go to great lengths to attract the attention of their loyal consumers and gain new ones. Video is one of the best mediums to communicate their messages.

Here are 4 creative video campaign ads focused on various sports created by brands in 2018:

1. Nike – Dream crazy

Nike’s Dream crazy video campaign ad wins the “most controversial ad of the year” award.

It features Colin Kaepernick, a former NFL quarterback who refused to stand during the national anthem at the start of games as a protest over racism and police brutality. In a matter of days, the ad becomes the subject of a massive wave of controversy in media, digital and offline.

Some believed Nike was wrong to associate themselves with Mr Kaepernick, while others congratulated the famous sports brand for the courage to stand behind their values. Some Nike fans took to the streets and burnt Nike products.

The video ad was created to talk to younger consumers who belong to ethnic groups and have political views which lean to the left. According to Marketing Week, Mark Parker, Nike’s CEO claims the ad has driven “record engagement” with the brand and helped boost sales.

Nike is definitely a brand which doesn’t play it by ear so we are sure Nike management checked the numbers before releasing the ad and was fully aware of the consequences.

As it looks so far, with over 26 million views, they didn’t play it safe and won in the end.

2. Under Armour – Will finds a way

On our small screen, athletes seem larger than life. But athletes are not super-heroes, they are people going through struggles like any of us. Some fight their own country to achieve their dream, others fight physical impairments, some struggle with emotions.

To all of us trying to overcome our struggles and keep fighting for our dreams, Under Armour is telling us Wherever we’re starting from. Wherever we’re heading. Will finds a way.

Under Armour’s inspirational video campaign ad features Dwayne The Rock Johnson as its flag person. The ad’s short version has 13 million views and the long version, over 1 million views. The video shows 6 athletes and the hurdles they have to overcome to achieve their dream.

Will defies expectations, beats all odds and propels greatness, and through our ‘Will Finds A Way’ campaign we are challenging the world to push beyond their physical and mental boundaries to manifest the best in themselves and those around them.

Adrienne Lofton, senior vice president of global brand management at Under Armour via marketingweek.com

3. Adidas – Creativity is the answer

Adidas created this campaign ad for the 2018 World Cup.

The brand enrolled the massive support of 56 A-listers from music and sports: Lionel Messi, José Mourinho, Luis Suarez, Von Miller, A$AP Ferg, Mo Salah, Caroline Wozniacki, Karlie Kloss, Pharrell Williams etc.

Ryan Morlan, vice president of brand communications at Adidas said the ad has “re-engineered the traditional advertising campaign”.

Besides championing for performance, Adidas invites fans and athletes to be creative.

According to The Drum, Morlan said

“We are co-creating our story of sport and creativity with our consumers by reacting and responding to their preferences, attitudes, passions and geographies. Athletes in New York will get a different experience from those in London.”

4. Wimbledon – In Pursuit of Greatness: Take on History

In celebration of 150 years of The All England Club and 50 years of Open tennis, Wimbledon has chosen history as the theme of this year’s content campaign.

The oldest tennis tournament in the world turned to animation and the result is beautiful. The ad took the Gold award in the Film Craft/Animation category at the 2018 Kinsale Shark Awards.

History is at the core of our pursuit of greatness. Our respect for our traditions, our quest to keep them current, is what drives us to be better, every day, and every year. It is what players come here to emulate, what fans come here to see, what our teams use to improve.

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3 Snapchat Campaigns powered by Augmented Reality

Snapchat is undoubtedly leading the user experience of augmented reality in social media. In 2016, the Pokemon GO frenzy took the world by storm and showed the incredible appeal of AR for users.

In the following years, brands have looked for ways to use AR to raise engagement on Snapchat and draw users’ attention to their products.

Discover 3 brand campaigns powered by augmented reality and delivered through Snapchat:

BMW

As part of its 2017 ad campaign to launch the BMW X2, the famous carmaker became the first brand to create a 3D augmented-reality version of a product with Snapchat.

During the campaign, consumers on Snapchat began seeing ads from BMW that linked to the augmented-reality version of the new car. When someone swiped on the ad, it opened the camera and the gold car appeared in the frame. A person could then virtually walk around the car and see all its details and even change its color.

Nike

Nike partnered with Snapchat and Shopify earlier this year for the pre-release of Air Jordan III Tinker. 2018 marks 30 years since Michael Jordan made history with his free throw line dunk in 1988 Slam Dunk Contest win. It is one of the most memorable moments in NBA history and Nike wished to celebrate it.

Using 3D and augmented-reality technology, Nike brought Michael Jordan through Snapchat to the younger generation that has never seen him play. But the experience didn’t stop here. With a tap on the screen, the user was able to purchase a pair of Air Jordan III Tinker which was delivered to their home address within two hours. The pre-release shoes were sold out in 23 minutes.

Watch the video here.

Foot Locker

The holidays tend to bring out the best in advertising, leading to fierce competition to make an impact. This often means clever brand partnerships.

One such example is the collaboration between Foot Locker and Snapchat on Christmas 2017. Foot Locker designed an unboxing experience for Snapchatters in which they delivered animated Jordans that users could customise and dunk.

The Virtual Promoter and why use it in your campaigns

Sometimes is hard to keep up with the technology at the level that is evolving, but by doing it you make sure your business stays in front of the pack and continues to gets more and more loyal customers. In this context, the retail industry has become one of the most competitive and dynamic areas of work, with brands literary fighting for the top stops in consumers’ minds.

It’s time for the agencies be even closer to their clients and help them reach their business goal. In retail, virtual mannequins have become an ideal, interactive display to inform customers, visitors and guests. The virtual mannequin can be you, a member of your staff or a hired actor. Virtual Mannequins create a ‘hologram model’ that enables stores and brands to display consistently powerful and engaging sales pitches, promotional and informational messages. Virtual promoter can be used in shopping malls, supermarkets, banks, airports, auto-dealerships, hotels, restaurants and a host of other areas.

efmp (European Field Marketing Partners)’s agencies in the Czech Republic, Germany and Romania are some of the few agencies in the world using this state of the art interactive 83” rear-projection media display platform, called the Virtual Promoter. This platform has been designed to produce a life-size display that interacts by gestures and hi-fi sound feedback.

“The interactive displays are aesthetically pleasing and effortlessly catch the attention of the passing consumers. The engaging nature of the displays makes consumers curious and encourages them to explore the technology; as a result every detail of the product is promoted. Whether it’s product information, special offers, services or long-term customer retention, there is no better way to capture the attention of the customers at the point of sale (POS); and the virtual promoters are always on duty,” wrote efmp on its blog.

Due to the novel way that virtual promoters display information, consumers are receptive to far more information. This is a great advantage for brands operating in a competitive environment. However, the benefits go beyond just engagement but also include the recording of in-depth customer metrics, with smart data giving brands insight into their target audience.

PPM Factum in the Czech Republic is one of only a few agencies in the world to use this progressive technology. They launched their virtual promoter (ViP) at the Retail Summit on 1st February 2016. According to its website, it is a device designed by the company Ameria, Germany, and is based on the motion capture. The Virtual Promoter (ViP) offers to show your advertisements or product range in a completely new and original way. By means of creative and entertaining application formats it is possible to communicate via the ViP much larger amount of information, moreover in a absolutely non-aggressive way, which is perceived very positively by customers.

“The essence of using this technology is to give brands a deeper understanding of how customers experience them in the retail environment, which in turn enhances their business intelligence and allows them to make strategic changes to implement cost savings and an increase in sales. It allows our agencies to translate their activities into data that shapes business decisions. Given the variety of campaigns delivered and the objectives for each, all agencies are able to create and report on bespoke metrics that are tailored to an individual brand’s needs. The ultimate objective is to optimize performance. A variety of platforms and tools are used to deliver campaigns; below we outline some of the outputs and benefits of this technology,” added efmp.

Some of the advantages for the business are:

Increase attractiveness of your business place. Attract attention to your shop.

Call to action. Process promotions & novelties and attract customers to your shop.

Information and navigation function. Offer information on your products including navigation through your business location.

An assistant support. Provide service outside your opening hours or unburden your sales assistants during peak hours.

Entertaining function. Offer your customers a pleasant use of time while waiting, kid´s corner.

CRM innovation. 

Quality evaluation of promo event effectiveness based on accurate data.

Attracts attention of passersby by addressing them proactively.

Promo function is accomplished unobtrusively in the background by providing information or via an entertaining application.

“GIMMO Virtual Promoter” (ViP) is a device working on the principle of a projection on a glass coated with special foil. The glass can be placed in space or in a shop window. The device is equipped with the most advanced motion sensor that can recognize and contact passersby. It responds to gestures and sounds; creates an illusion of a real person. Moreover, still according to its website, almost 7 % of passersby stop and watch on average of 40 seconds, 2 % of passersby proactively test the device and spend on average 70 seconds on it. The device keeps customers´ attention much longer than any other type of media. Percentage of expressed interest is significantly higher than in other measurable media (internet).

LinkedIn Website Demographics: Important Information for Marketers

Since July, LinkedIn is offering companies a way to get better information about who is visiting their web pages. That information—about the person’s job title, company, industry type, and location—could help companies better target their marketing campaigns going forward.

Businesses using LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager advertising service can use the new Linkedin Website Demographics tool to track this information, provided they insert a LinkedIn tag on the pages they want to monitor. “They can then compare how different pages do with different demographic groups and use that data to fine tune their marketing going forward. For a company that wants to hire a person with certain skills in a particular industry, this could be helpful rather than the traditional broader “spray and pray” type of campaigns,”writes Fortune.

Once you set up your website audience in Campaign Manager for website retargeting or website demographics, your audience pool will begin to build. If your website audience does not verify in 24 hours, do double check your website audience URL to make sure it has been correctly entered and that an Insight Tag has been properly placed on the pages you would like to track. Once the website audience is verified, it may take up to 90 days to build up an audience pool, depending on the volume of website traffic that meets the specific target criteria you set.

You can check the status of your website segments on the management page by moving your cursor over the Account Assets tab in the top navigation bar of your Campaign Manager account page and selecting Matched Audiences from the dropdown.

 

The secret to winning a Cannes Lion

No matter the changes that the advertising world saw in the last years, Cannes Lions remains the most important festival of the industry and its awards the most wanted and desired. Therefore, it’s only natural for all the agencies and marketers to be curious to know the secret of winning one. So what are the ingredients that turn your campaigns or executions into possible winning ones? The important, big awards are given to disruptive, irreverent, totally different pieces of work that are known and loved at an international level.

Looking at the works that one and listening to several jury members, we were able to highlight some points that will give you a clearer picture on the topic.

“We felt the new integration is about transcending intermedia and really integrating into culture and society,” said Jury President Tham Khai Meng, for AdAge.com.

• Works that push humanity forward.
• Works that are deeply original and sharable.
• Campaigns that effectively impact business objectives
• New ideas that change people’s perspectives. When inspiration is combined with a  rigorous experimentation program, companies can push today’s marketing innovation.
• Intuition balanced with data, big ideas with bold experiments, inspiration with rigorous validation.
• What wins a Grand Prix in a particular category is work that represents best the category and shows the way forward to the industry.
• Old ideas reinvented and putting things in a completely different perspective
• Including a societal angle in your campaign when producing your case study.
• Going big (a strong idea, consolidated by a depth of the execution and all the content created around it). Jury members were very vocal in saying that they wanted to focus on work that had been widely shared, got press coverage and was being made by big real brands.
• The PR component of the campaign becomes more and more important. No winning campaign has been “discovered” at Cannes. All Grand Prix winners were operations that had been already widely shared and talked about in the media, and had also made an impact on marketers all over the world, even before the start of the festival.
• The concept is still the king.
• Using emotion and focus on a positive attitude. Let’s not forget that jurors are humans as well, and if you can make them feel something, you’re much closer to being in the winner’s circle. The stronger the emotion, the better.
• Short videos presenting the campaign’s idea, execution and results. The shorter and to the point as possible, the better.
• “Work that has impact far beyond its initial intention or that creates a category shift is work that stands out. It’s often not the big brands, but the truly smart, innovative, and conscious work that scores highest with the judges”. – Sue Daun, Creative Director Intebrand London.
• Inspiring creativity envy.
• Works that break the rules and do not conform to what we expect to see—work that transcends a category.