inluminent

Robert Loch’s latest Net Marketing Newsletter features an article entitled “Branding from the fringes” in which Robert pontificates about the possibilities that brands could be marketed quite heavily, using low-budget, high frequency online entertainment channels… think cheap films shot by agencies or even just fans of the brand).

I agree with Robert that this is a great possibility, but disagree that it’ll be something any major respectable brand would let happen. I think it’s one for those ‘out there’ brands, like Altoids, or LOTR, or other small niche players… Let me point you to one example of why at least one major company claims to ‘not accept ideas from outside the company’: Apple’s Unsolicited Idea Submission Policy.

Apple or any of its employees do not accept or consider unsolicited ideas, including ideas for new advertising campaigns, new promotions, new or improved products or technologies,product enhancements, processes, materials, marketing plans or new product names. Please do not send any original creative artwork, suggestions or other works. The sole purpose of this policy is to avoid potential misunderstandings or disputes when Apple’s products or marketing strategies might seem similar to ideas submitted to Apple. So, please do not send your unsolicited ideas to Apple or anyone at Apple. If, despite our request that you not send us your ideas, you still send them, then regardless of what your letter says, the following terms shall apply to your idea submission.

It’s called ‘fear’. Most companies that are already established (read have a large purse somewhere) are fearful that their use of someone else’s ideas without acknoledgement or payment, means that that idea holder will sue the crap out of them. I think that on one hand they’re right, and on the other hand its sad that we have to worry about this at all.

(The entire article from Robert’s Net Marketing Newletter is included in the ‘more’ link below, but you really ought to sign up for his newsletter at his site if this sort of thing interests you.)

[posted as written in Robert Loch's Netmarketing Newsletter dated 10/12/2002]

Branding from the fringes

- the rise of low budget frequency video advertising -

I’ve watched an endless number of ‘viral’ movies/ads in my time. Most impressive recently has been a series of ads (http://www.humour.tv/video.php?page=112) done by FLT (http://www.flt.free.fr/) as part of an initiative to raise awareness of their independent TV site. What I found exciting about them was that these ads were clearly produce on a very low budget, yet remained powerful. We are talking camcorders and amateur dramatics.

Anyhow this got me thinking about how a major brand could incorporate low cost high frequency online video advertising into their marketing. My first reaction was probably typical of a marketer – expressing concerns that there would be a loss of brand integrity, the standard would not be high enough, the image quality of transmission would be too low, blah blah blah. That was followed by the inevitable concern – ad agencies will never buy it.

When I finally managed to shut myself up, I began to think about how my objections could be answered, whilst considering how valid they were in the first place.

My starting point was a realisation that there is the argument that this ‘college project’ type advertising blended in with the medium far better than more sophisticate video advertising. It had an integrity that was consistent with the amateurism of the net.

That acknowledged – I still had to accept that major brands would not want to lower their creative ambitions. Gut reaction, this was an initiative for incumbent brands, or spin off brands, or for pre launch, but not for the mainstream. Then I thought – NO that is just defeatist. Perhaps this could work if the argument was based around expanding the relationship with a brand’s core advocates.

Consider it this way, if you buy the argument that advertisers are now in the business of entertainment, then it follows that message frequency should start matching that of entertainment.

Thinking this way, I started to see a parallel between this idea and the communities that build up around films.

My sister’s boyfriend is one of the guys who runs the leading Lord of The Rings fan site. His dedication to the brand borders on disturbing – stalker like obsession. If he, and his merry band of Tolkenist are anything to go by, one thing is for certain – true advocates crave ongoing frequent communication. (As an aside – New Line Cinema provided them with insider news during production, input on the movie, endless content, and paid for an Oscar party where a number of the cast, including the Director, Peter Jackson, and Oscar winner Ian McKellan turned up. The Hobbits didn’t make it, on the grounds that they were too drunk. Anyhow, in return the fan site created continuous buzz, developed a network of advocate supporters in over 80 countries, and served millions of visitors.)

So where was I. Yeah, what I was starting to see was that there maybe the potential to fire frequent low level message at a core audience. The goal – increasing the size of a brand’s advocate audience, strengthening the overall relationship with them, whilst creating ’soap opera’ like buzz around the marketing message. That’s where I saw online video coming in – yet animation, or even images, could serve a similar purpose. One thing is for sure – major brands have yet to adopt common entertainment industry principles when delivering branding message. In entertainment there are series, sitcoms and soaps, but there is no equivalent in video advertising in respect to frequency.

Extending this idea – if you are going to take an entertainment driven approach to marketing, why not also involve your core audience in the development process. That could range from suggesting scripts, to developing content.

About a year ago now I wrote an article (http://www.dotcomscoop.com/article.php?sid=251) calling for Absolut to hand over their brand to world for interpretation, through launching a string of sites including AbsolutImage, AbsolutAnimation, AbsolutGames, AbsolutFilms, with a competition to motivate talent to fill those areas. Coincidentally a week later they launched AbsolutDesign, and have subsequently been making other moves in the general direction suggested.

Sony, in conjunction with Atom Films recently launched – Make You Mark – a short film contest. (http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/af/spotlights/sony/)

Both examples have a similar theme running through them – motivate talent to produce content, link that content to your brand, and then promote/syndicate the content.

Under the same guise, why doesn’t Levis follow this approach? I’d submit a story board idea for a laugh, as I’m sure many others would. There is something very powerful in the idea of growing a brand from your advocate base upwards, rather than imposing an identity upon it.

I expect to see a lot resistance to this approach, although I strongly believe that eventually we’ll see this form of marketing becoming common practice. At present the thought of loosing control over the brand, is simply too frightening for those that own it. Well, here’s news for them – brand don’t exist in corporate boardrooms. They should accept that, and let their advocates in on the process.

[posted as written in Robert Loch's Netmarketing Newsletter dated 10/12/2002]