In Jan 2008, I went to Tokyo (the new New - York apparently) "on research" to see what's what over in Asia when it comes to mobile and what is now leading the industry for them. I took some snaps and I met with Ogilvy digital (Tokyo).
Tokyo is just a mad place and, eventually, I was dying to go home when faceed with all the media clutter and advertiser presence. In spite of this, it is the real vision of an "always on", digitally mobile and connected society where, if you do manage to intercept a Japanese consumer you have to make it count!
They do this by putting a mobile response number/url/QR code/ or search box on their advertising. This allows consumers to act on the advertising there and then, reducing OTS, and maximising advertising effectiveness (Plus it's relevant and cool etc..)
Here are some snaps of mobile enabled advertising (from Japan!) If you are interested in seeing a full presentation download slides below! (Just scroll to end - past all the pictures)
Donald
Guinness Drip mat pub locator - you snap the QR matrix and it takes to you mobile website.
Mobile response QR code on McDonalds POS, Leads to mobile website where information on menu and nutritional value can be found.
Mobile Search box on advertising
Coca Cola Ambient advertising - snap image and be brought to "coke side of life" mobile website.
PRESENTATION!
Toky'o'Mobile_Return2Sender.ppt (4.92 mb)
Posted by donald | Comments (2)
Tags: donald douglas, mobile marketing japan
In association with Dublin's WHPR we have just launched Mr.T on your mobile! Mr.T and Snickers are back on TV this month after huge success late last year and a WAP site full of Mr.T content is being made available in support of the campaign re - launch. The campaign has become iconic for it's advertising and associations with Mr.T. The ads have been downloaded over 800,000 times on Youtube already.
The WAP site features a whole host of content for free download including - ringtones/Mr.T sound bites, wallpapers, the ad itself, the Snickers "Get some nuts challenge" and there's also a competition offering a chance to win an Nintendo Wii.
The full content mobile internet site has been live for over a week now and is being promoted on the Vodafone LIVE portal. Animated banner ads have been up on various areas of the portal as of last Monday (18th Feb) and results are proving that there is real cut - through to be had for early movers in this environment.
Mobile internet runs on a cost per impression model as opposed to internet banner ads, which are charged per click.
Not only are mobile users responding to the ads but activity on the site itself has far exceeded expectations. Visitors in their thousands are downloading content, watching the video ad on their handsets and forwarding the site on to friends. The result now is that thousands of people out there have the Snickers/ Mr.T content on their phones and are free to pass it along to friends via bluetooth and MMS. So now the brand lives in their phones, their most personal device .
To view the banner ads please visit Vodafone LIVE or to be sent a WAP link leading to the site text the word SNICKERS to the shortcode 51727. (Std text rates apply, ROI only)
If not in Ireland you can access the site by typing in the following URL www.r2s.ie/snickers
You can also give us a call on 01 679 0640 if you would like to discuss the campaign further, find out more about mobile internet sites and also mobile advertising! Get Some Nuts!!! Grrrr....
Posted by lisa | Comments (0)
Tags: mr.t, snickers, mobile internet, mobile advertising, return2sender, mobile content
This isn't essentially a mobile related story but well worth the post anyway as its a bit of banter!
So, initially when we saw the guerilla effort by Tayto to get in on the election action I have to say it all seemed like a contrived viral push but we are taking back those words after seeing Mr. Tayto's party political broadcast this week - hilarious. The first half of the 1 minute spot starts out quite seriously with picturesque footage from the west of Ireland and then moving over the green fields with Mr. Tayto's Manifesto" is brought to the fore - " The whole in the ozone layer? - we'll look into it". The second half moves right into obscurity starting with the cheesiest backing track that I reckon came straight from a Dubliners back catalogue - "Mr. Tayto, Mr. Tayto.. the snack that has the nack for havin the craic!" and shows Mr. Tayto canvassing all around the capital with Frank Kelly (A.k.a Fr Jack Hackett).
I think the best thing about this ad is that it just catches you completely off guard when it starts with the sincere celtic music and then it's just really very funny. What's even funnier is the response and attention this is getting online as people look for some light relief from all the election madness - "Sure he'd probably do a better job then those muppets currently do"!
Further to the ad, Paddy power have given official odds at 5000/1 that Mr. Tayto will win the election (Irishblogs)! I'm only surprised that those behind the drive havent received a fine for littering given the amount of posters they've put up around the place! There is also an official website here featuring a blog, link to download "The Roosters" official song and instructions of how you can "get involved" (queue viral) including an area to print off Mr.Tayto campaign posters for yourself.
Chemistry are the agency behind the creative with Mediagroup handling PR for the campaign. The whole thing really is a no brainer and when you think about it, why hasn't anyone else seized the same opportunity to play on the general election like this? Lucky for Tayto I guess... Well will he get your vote?
Posted by lisa | Comments (0)
Pepsi have just introduced bluetooth as part of their US Marketing efforts. The brand is using bluetooth in 120 transit shelters across Los Angeles, Washington, New York, Pittsburgh and Denver.
The bluetooth bus shelters recognise enabled phones with it's vacinity, send out offers of a free music video and if the receiver accepts they are directed to check out Pepsi's branded music site - Smash. Also, with added coolness these bluetooth posters as they light up each time a user accepts a download! In each city the video opens up with a local hero who introduces the acts in the video.
There have been acquisations that this sort of promotion is verging into spamming territory but largely those voices have been silenced through the fact that the downloads are valuable to the receiver/consumer and so they're more acceptable. Bluespamming is when bluetooth is used to send marketing messages in an untargeted manner to any/all phones that happen to be in the area at the time. Using Bluetooth in this way has been largely criticised in the UK and more so in the US where it is used more frequently.
This is not to say that using bluetooth in a marketing context is wrong but just that randomly spamming people is (In any case really). Bluetooth like all mobile marketing works alot better when it is an "opt - in" communication rather than one - way. When the consumer decides to initiate the dialogue the whole interaction becomes more powerful and ultimately longer term. Still though, Fair play to Pepsi.
UPDATE: According to Picturephoning.com, In the first week of the Pepsi campaign, opt-in rates to download content were reported to be 27% across the network of 120 bus shelters.
Posted by lisa | Comments (0)