A couple months ago, I discovered the joy of LOLcats.  The buzz generated by the LOLcats brand of humor is a case study on the power of the internet.  The best way to attempt to explain it is that Lolcats is the internet version of an inside joke, a really really cute inside joke.  You just need to see it for yourself.  But I digress.

I have subscribed to 5 different mailing lists offered under the “I Can Has Cheezburger” brand, including “Engrish Funny,” “ROFLrazzi,” “FAIL Blog,” “Loldogs,” and “Lolcats.”  This means that every day, I recieve emails containing hilarious captioned pictures and links directing me to the website for more silliness.  The business model behind these emails is simple: Click the link, comment on the picture, and spend time on the main website … which enables the website to charge higher advertising fees justified through higher traffic.

In the interactive field, iPhone apps are a constant topic of discussion.  And, of course, we are supposed to be defining the potential applications of emerging technologies.  But at what point does “being on the edge of cool” stop justifying new ventures that don’t seem to contribute to the bottom line?  This is where Lolcats comes in.

My daily emails began promoting the “I Can Has Cheezburger” iPhone app.  As a consumer, I was all over that app.  As a business-minded individual, I found myself wondering how the app contributes to the revenue model.  In some cases, applications may send you to the website, encourage you to spend time/money elsewhere, or, of course, charge a fee.  The LOLcats application really does none of the above.  It simply provides entertainment to the users.  In this case, an iPhone app is actually counterproductive.  You see, as any logical person would do, I have unsubscribed from my daily Lolcats emails.  No more inbox flooding.  No more going to the website.  All that remains is one click - I pull up my iPhone app, and I’m instantly entertained.

I am a big believer in the value of brand equity - usually, when a consumer is spending more time with your brand, it’s a good thing.  But if they are spending more time with your brand, while driving less money to your brand…the math simply doesn’t add up.  I would pay for this iPhone app.  I might link to the website to comment.  But please don’t tell the Lolcats.  They’ll turn me into nomz

The next installment in my favorite movie series, Saw V, comes to theaters this Friday, October 24th.  Let me tell you how a unique tool used in its promotion blows my mind - nasty pun intended

Here’s what engagement with movies used to look like:

The consumer sees a movie trailer a few months before the film’s release.  In the weeks preceding the big release date, the consumer sees a few 30-second commercial spots on TV.  Perhaps they catch a glimpse of the movie poster during a visit to the theater.  Finally, the big night arrives, and it’s up to the producers to immerse the consumer in a 2-hour experience that will encourage them to speak positively about the film with their friends.

The quality of the movie is out of marketers’ hands, yes.  But marketers have found a new way to ensure that consumers are spending more than 2 hours with their movie brands, thereby increasing the chances that they will share their engagement with others.  Furthermore, marketers are transcending the concept of word-of-mouth, a crucial determinant in the movie-going process.  In a 2006 Los Angeles Times poll on the moviegoing habits of teens and young adults, 38% of those surveyed said they share their opinions about a movie during or right after the film or on the same day.  It is hardcore fans alone who hit up the message boards.  So how can marketers gain and virally spread the interest of casual movie-goers, people who may have a slight interest in their films?

Enter mashups.  Let them direct the movie!

Mashups aren’t entirely new to the YouTube universe.  People have been recreating trailers for a while now, posting “re-cut” versions on YouTube for pure entertainment purposes (sometimes, hilariously inappropriate entertainment purposes).  Marketers found a way to turn these blatant copyright violations into promotional machines. The mashup has become an incredible marketing tool.

You want the proof?

In 3 days, I spent 10 hours creating mashup trailers from the Saw movie series.  10 hours of TRUE engagement.  10 hours of FREE engagement.  And you better believe that I am creating buzz with my friends.  Upon posting the mashup tool to my Facebook profile, I uncovered three more Saw fans, manifested in the form of public wall posts, status updates, and news-feed glory.

It’s a simple concept: incent me to chop up your movie by entering my work into a contest with a sweet prize.  I am likely to spend hours perfecting my trailer, spread the word, and see your movie.  Combined, DVR adoption and the internet have opened doors such that a 30-second commercial should serve as no more than a reminder.  Make consumers feel your brand by finding ways they would like to interact.

It used to be a scary thing - giving control of your brand to your consumers.  But isn’t marketing about giving the people what they want?

You just know that the term “Web 2.0″ is played out when an accounting firm is praising the virtues of Facebook. A snippet from an eye-opening Fortune Magazine technology article has found its way to my desk. Apparently, companies, not just consumers, are using Web 2.0 tools (who would’ve thunk it?). While this may not be too surprising, digest this: Ernst & Young’s career page on Facebook has almost 19,000 fans. And they are active - 150 discussion topics and 1,700 wall posts. E&Y recruiters personally reply to messages in the fbookers’ language.

One example wall-post reply to an internship inquiry: “Kelsie - we are not currently looking for additional applicants for Tampa internships at this time - feel free to message me personally if you have any other questions….” The reply was posted at 12:55AM on a late Thursday evening by an E&Y employee who is pictured posing like an Olympic champion in front of a snow-covered mountain, wearing a striped sweater that clashes terribly with his zany ski cap.

Rejected.

Alas, Web 2.0 poses the question: would you rather be rejected in a personal-manner publicly, or in an impersonal-manner privately? Hmmm… Rejection or no rejection, I’d much rather facebook a company representative than play their stressful game.

In the future, I think that applying for a job will be as easy as one click. All applicants will have to do is click the “Apply Now” button on a company’s LinkedIn job profile, sending along their resume, profile, recommendations, contacts, etc. No duplication of effort. No stress. Ahhhhh. The downside to this? When the 15,358,137.3 unemployed Americans apply for the new Marketing Coordinator job opening at Time-Warner. What an HR nightmare.

On the flipside, companies such as Best Buy are beginning to use 2.0 tools internally, creating employee networking communities that allow them to bounce product-knowledge and best practices off one another. Imagine a world in which these internal communities are open to the public! Today, everyone talks about outsourcing technical support like there will never be greater cost-savings to be found. In the future, these technical support jobs could be eliminated when everyone has internet access (it will happen one day!). Employees, being offered bonuses for helpful instant-responses to customers, may actually strive to make my shopping experience a pleasure! That is, if there is a retail shopping experience to be had at that point…

Marketing communications have shifted from a one-way street to a conversation with the customer. New media grants your customers easy access to channels that allow them to share their opinions about your brand with millions of other people. Until recently, marketers have allowed customers to bad-mouth their brands, accepting that they have no control over what is posted in the blogosphere. The game is rapidly changing, though, thanks to marketers who are willing to take risks.

“Outside the box” thinking? Most marketers believe they are thinking outside the box when they create a viral video or take user feedback into consideration for future campaigns. EA took this idea one step further: literally responding to a single customer (albeit, a very popular one) by creating a hilariously creative YouTube video response featuring the real Tiger Woods.

Levinator25 says: Check out this glitch, yo!

EA replies: Tiger Woods says shut yo mouth.

Some serious negative discussion was reversed into some hugely positive buzz (almost 2 million views, to be exact, and countless blog posts). Granted, this response came nearly a year after Levinator25’s video was first posted. It’s certainly a step in the right direction, though! Viral videos are pretty exciting (although the novelty is rapidly wearing thin and truly buzz-worthy concepts are becoming harder to capture), but a genuine video response to a YouTube posting, that talks directly to a vlogger and his viewers in their language? Now THAT is revolutionary!

 

I recently attended an AiMA event (Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association) in which Multi-Channel Marketing was the topic of discussion. “Multi-channel,” “integrated,” “multi-level,” “using different media channels” … same stuff, different terminology. Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting to hear anything groundbreaking. I learned something, however, that shattered my perception of new media and its ability to actually capture genuine interest rather than brief attention.

One of the evening’s presenters shared their integrated campaign for Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser Select brand. It had all the elements of what has become a traditional nontraditional campaign. Mobile, events, website, etc. Any marketer can send out text messages, just as any marketer can deliver recorded celebrity voicemails. What distinguished this campaign was the innovative way his company used multiple stages in its mobile strategy to generate buzz and drive consumers to multiple Bud Select parties across the country.

First, website visitors who opted-in received recorded phone calls from Bud’s new brand ambassador, Jay-Z, informing them that they were on the exclusive guest list for a party happening in one of five states. They were then told that they would be receiving a follow-up phone call to let them know the date of the party. A third and final phone call from Jay-Z gave them the location of the event and a special text message that they would need to show at the door to get in.

What did this accomplish?

1) Promote the brand image - People actually felt like they were members of an exclusive in-crowd. They were invited to join a party where people would be turned away at the door for not being on the “list.” This furthers the image of the brand in ways that no advertisement can.

2) Generate buzz - The series of celebrity phone calls kept people eagerly anticipating the next one that was promised to come with more information. This prolonged the time people spent engaging with the brand. Additionally, people forwarded the secret text message to a) look super cool and b) to gather a group of friends to hit the club.

3) Influence trial - You can damn sure believe people were ready to drink some Bud Select by the time the parties rolled around. All the cool kids in the five selected markets drank Bud Select all night long, and once they were hooked, their tag-along friends were sure to follow.

The big takeaway from this marketing campaign is CREATIVITY. It is simply not good enough to shift some marketing dollars into the interactive arena. At this point, you really aren’t being that innovative. The key to unleashing the potential of your brand is to identify ways to keep consumers engaged and buzzed. A text message certainly won’t do this. But a website opt-in, which leads to a multi-staged celebrity phone call feature, which leads to an exclusive party, certainly will.

Don’t just use the same marketing communications that your competitors are using. New media needs to be more than a means by which we advertise the same message in the same way. Seek out ways to align your marketing tactics with your message. If your beer is exclusive, then dammit, your text message guest list better be exclusive. But it must not stop there - create a multi-level strategy which extends beyond grabbing eyeballs and actually immerses your target in your brand. Intertwine multiple communication elements to show the consumer just how exclusive your beer really is.