Finally! Social Media Connects with Emotion...and gives the world a COKE!

After 40 years of hearing that resoundingly familiar song "I like to buy the world a COKE and keep it company...."  and all its renditions over the years, the powers of Coke, Google and the creative genius of 70 year old Harvey Gabor recreate the magic of "Hilltop" shot in Italy in 1971.   Harvey may be one of the six grand old men of advertising yet he still has the creative juices to collaborate and advance a great idea!

To date this is one of the most effective demonstrations and examples of effectively leveraging social media, today’s technology and emotional connection of great marketing. Beyond that, they "raise the bar" and extend the idea into the real world through digital technology creating access that touches every heart on the planet...at least every heart that is close to a Coke vending machine...Amazing!!

This is truly special and will make you say WOW!... It is not often we see marketing and advertising executives really leveraging the unique qualities of social media and today’s technology to make the world a better place.

To be honest, we are all a bit exhausted of the growing "noise" of social media always trying to sell us something. The Internet is a media that is all too easy to fall into the trap of being "transactional" becoming the direct-mail of today (albeit saving trees) when the real purpose we engage social media today is to build "relationships". 

This is an excellent example of how great brands can connect with fans using the advancement of today's technology and find a place in the hearts and minds of their fans - the goal of every great brand to Make It Matter! Enjoy the video and link below...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Make It Matter...

Here's to a great 2012!!

Apple...the New Hard Rock Cafe?

Anyone who isn't living under a rock knows Apple has been quietly taking over the world during the past ten years or so. While Apple has always been a company many kept in their view out of the corner of our eye given its coolness, the early days seemed to be concentrated on a small group of sort of hippy-ish people. Then came the iPod...and the adventure into main stream began exploding. If you didn't have an iPod, well you didn't have your very own personal music store! After the iPod introduction we simply watched the iPod get smaller and smaller and hold more and more music - we were truly amazed!

Next the iPhone. Most thought it would never really catch on big and that the Blackberry was the winner. After all the iPhone was very expensive and lacked a keyboard. Well, now the iPhone is the leading smart phone and along with our iPods we're beginning to say but don't i need an iPad and iMac too? Just amazing how this brand has taken over our lives by a guy named Steve Jobs.
Even the Apple stores early on seemed more like a museum than a hard core retailer - akin to the Nike stores. But then that too began to go main stream like Starbucks with a store in almost every mall on the planet! Their biggest store, 23,000 s.f. just opened in NYC's Grand Central Terminal replacing former tenant Charlie Palmer's Metrazur restaurant, who Apple reportedly paid $5 million to vacate the location early.

And now the crowds build for every store opening and there are actually groupies that attend every store grand opening hoping to be one of the first 100 to receive the grand opening T-shirt...attempting to collect them all. The grand-opening shirts and their minimalist design hark to the first of Apple's more than 300 stores, which launched in McLean, Va., and Glendale, Calif., over a decade ago. Most are black with white lettering. But Apple sometimes marks major new openings with a special design or color, such as red for this year's Hong Kong debut.

I'm quite surprised that Apple hasn't designed the T-shirts to feed the collection (or should we say bragging rights) fever and steal a page from the Hard Rock Cafe...same logo on every shirt with a simple listing of the city below the logo. "Oh, were you at the Beijing China Apple store opening? Wow aren't you cool!"

All I can say is it seems everything Apple does is well planned and thought out...they Make It Matter and have built one of the largest most loved brands in the world!

Season's Greetings!

Intergalactic Puts the "GO" in GOLF!

Imagine what golf would be like if it became more like a rock concert with an energetic audience, celebrities, artists and hot cars.  More like a "live" sporting event such as football, baseball or basketball where the crowd goes crazy when great things happen. 

A tour and competition where anyone can enter and based on performance can become number one overnight.  Maybe even a playoff format produced like a Super Bowl, World Series or NBA Championship.
 
Well a guy by the name of Luke Kohl has just that vision.  Luke has been around golf his whole life including being a caddy for some of the most famous golfers in the world.  Having always viewed the game as an "old guys" game he began to wonder.  What if this game could have the energy of other competitive sports?  Maybe be played in arenas across the country under the lights.  Luke created Intergalactic Golf designed to be golf that everyone can play...not just the senior guys!  He has been planning and programming the idea for quite some time and in 2012 you should begin to hear more about Intergalactic Golf.

When experience and passion come together around a unique idea you never know what might happen, however, one thing is for sure, this guy has his heart on Making It Matter! ...Stay Tuned!!

Golf as you have never seen it before...Rock On Luke!

BLACK FRIDAY...Why Many Retailers Leave Money On the Table!

Have you ever gotten excited about a ridicously low priced "door buster" deal like an large screen TV, high-speed computer or a name brand Blu-ray DVD player only to find out you would have to camp out for a week to even have a remote chance of getting the deal? 

While there are always die-hard people who will line up days in advance the fact of the matter is the overwhelming majority of people simply just say "not me, not worth my time" and unfortunately that is the end of it! 

But wait, seems like a missed opportunity don't you think?  If as a retailer your strategy is to deliver a message that anyone looking for a TV, Computer, DVD player or any other electronics would be crazy to shop anywhere else you need a Black Friday strategy that motivates the masses! 

So, how do you do this?  Well you need to think differently...not just promotional marketing but traffic driving marketing that rings the registers! 

Here's my thoughts...develop a simple multi-layered product strategy that is designed to atrract the most customers between (Black) friday and Sunday.  For instance if your TV deal is $199 for a 42" LCD TV and you only have ten per store (to satisfy the 50 or 100 people lined up outside your store) how about an additional $150 of any other TV on the floor for the next 6 hrs, then $100 off the following 12 hours then $50 off any TV through Sunday!  Limit it to in stock only and no rain checks.  Then do the same think in the computer dept and the DVD department.

Don't you think that would bring the largest number of customers over the 3-day Black Friday weekend, result in the highest sales volume and cement the message that the best TV, Computer, DVD deals in towm are at......well you get the idea.  Linked with a well thought out and timed omni channel communications strategy including web, social media, mobile, store, print, direct and TV would be immersive and engaging and MAKE IT MATTER to the bottom line!

GLASSY BABY...A Good Brand with a Shot at GREATNESS!

I Love this brand story!  I came across GlassyBaby a few months back and was quickly captured by themagic of the brand.  Intrigued, I began to research the company, brand and story and quickly fell in love with authenticity of the brand story.  I was very impressed with the authenticity of the brand story and how Lee Rhodes (a cancer survivor) integrated the "human-ness" and "love" starting with glassblowing artists handcrafting each GlassyBaby - an original work of art (no two alike  just like people).  The warmth of the web site (candles on wood tables, comfy couches, etc.) and simplicity of the product line really sets up a great background to "tell the brand story" which is what people are buying for $44.00.

The key is making it easy for fans (customers) to connect to the story and as well tell others.  That starts with staff training on the brand story so they can tell in a believable way, strong cues in the retail store (ideally you would see the artists making the GlassyBaby in the store), a highly effective public relations strategy to tell the story and a powerful social media plan to help connect and expand the fan base.

GlassyBaby has the one thing most brands die for...a real story that touches the human spirit - unless all the touch points are aligned to reinforce the story, people will look at the product as a commodity and say "who's going to pay $44.00 for a candle holder?" - missing the REAL VALUE of the Glassybaby brand.  I could go on but I think you get the point!

I believe Glassybaby has what it takes to succeed.  With a few tweaks to their plan and a strong focus what MAKES IT MATTER this could be huge...GOOD LUCK!

Recent Article of GlassBaby's Challenge: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/business/smallbusiness/a-small-retailer-tries-to-get-a-foothold-in-the-countrys-biggest-market.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1