So sweet.

This ad invites you to personalize your own M&M candies and do it online.

How to start a movement.

As said in this presentation: If you really care about starting a movement, have the courage to follow and show others how to follow.

Spring sales are here!

Spring sales are here. Everybody is screaming louder than the others. As my everyday path to the office goes through the main shopping centers in Tallinn, Viru keskus and Kaubamaja, then I had the pleasure to witness the madness this morning myself. Usually I rush through it, but today this beautiful girl caught my eyes. She was telling me where to travel in the serene and relaxing tone. Inside the shopping madness and people with determined eyesight rushing toward the cashiers, she was just glowing. Actually, she was a moving picture and projected to the plexiglas figure, voice coming from speakers. But look at the good signs. She never gets tired, never needs to use the toilet and is always glowing. More - the pictures in her hand are moving to illustrate her words. Just a ray of sunshine inside this gray and rainy day.

Insights from Password 2010 vol.2

Today I’m talking about Johan Ronnenstam’s speech in Password 2010. First of all: he was outstanding on the stage. Now to the less important matters.

He had a very liberated way of thinking. Should send him to brainwash large monster companies to let go from stamp-thinking what to do and what not to do.

For ages there has been belief that all the traffic related to your company should be inside your own web frames. So you could control it. Better write a blog in your company platform, share news, manage comments and post videos. But today you have to be where your fans are. And if fans are not coming to you, you can go to them. Anyway, why to pay for a web platform if it’s been already invented and working.

You can build your brand in different channels like YouTube, Facebook, Flicker, Wordpress, Wikipedia etc. and manage all the channels not killing your brand but expanding it. As these are the places where the eyes of your fans are. Still you need to provide value to get traffic and conversation, as the media only is not buying peoples eyes.

Another brilliant thought was about compromising/interesting information. If you happen to possess something valuable and you think others could find it interesting as well, do not run with it to the newspaper and get paid peanuts. Invest. Share it to all your friends via social media, you get more responds and in the longer run you DO get your money.

He was fascinated by this guy, Gary Vaynerchuk, doing Wine Library TV in his basement 5 days a week. Let’s face it. He is quite a handful to watch. Wine has really got into him and the charisma really shines through the screen. Check him out. The whole concept is actually so outstanding, that he deserves his own blog post someday.

I’m still waiting for the Best Marketing to publish the answers to the questions asked during the conference from the speakers and were not answered on the stage. If somebody sees them answered, let me know.

Insights from Password 2010 vol.1

Last week I attended Password 2010 marketing conference that is the biggest and the most important marketing event in Estonia triumphing with the annual advertising awards ceremony Golden Egg. Firstly I’m going to talk about Andy Milligan’s speech about how to build strong brands.

His main message was that a brand has to be simple and memorable to succeed. In order to understand the brand essence it has to be clear even to those who are not bright or determined enough to read the brand diagrams in the main office. As the brand diagrams are complicated to fulfil and usually only those who created it fully understand it. Others simply just do not get it. The brand has to be delivered so everybody can understand it. Ok, that I could have read from the book and probably have already.

When talking about memorability he talked about the Ryan Air who according to research has the worst customer service ever, smallest seat space etc. But the sales are up. Is it because their flights are cheap, their baggage lost rate is significantly lower than in British Airways or is it just the fact that Ryan Air just gets you safely and memorably to the destination. The worst customer service pegged with low prices has given Ryan Air the face that’s hard to forget and that’s what is needed to make a strong brand. Good point.

The most fascinating thing I discovered from his speech was a site called daytum.com. This is a site where you can collect, categorize and communicate your everyday data. Everyday data basically means how much you sleep, eat, drink etc. It lets you track almost everything you do. The clean-cut and simple design makes it easy and pleasant to consume. My need for control is not on that level yet that I would sign up, put see what you can do with it, if you decide to sign up. For free.

For example you can track down how much did you really work today:

How many hours you spent on meetings:

When did you have your last drink:

What have you eaten?

Good things come to those who wait.

Last night Taevas Ogilvy won the title “Agency of the Year”.

The giant teeth of Kliinik 32 I talked about a while ago got the prizes they deserved among 15 other prizes. The results of "Kuldmuna" advertising awards are posted here. I'm so happy, excited and still smiling that the people I love so much, got what they deserve and now it's official that we... have to work harder than ever to keep up the reputation. If I have recovered from the after-party and back on the ground with my two feet (long way to go), I’ll post some insights from the Password 2010 conference.

The song of the century

Here is a really deep and mind-blowing musical piece of art.

Listen the masterpiece HERE. And all sing along:

Make The Logo Bigger (Lyrics)

Make the logo big.
Make the logo bigger.
Make the logo big.
Make the logo bigger.

Chorus
Make the logo as big as you can.
And make the logo bigger.

That logo isn't big enough.
So, make the logo bigger.
Bigger, bigger, make it big.
Make the logo bigger.

Chorus
Make the logo as big as you can.
And make the logo bigger.

Yelling
Don't try to be the brave guy!
We don't have a job for you!
You know what you've got to do!
You gotta stick to the process!
Make the damn logo as big as you can!

Chorus
Make the logo as big as you can.
And make the logo bigger.

I don't want to tell you how to do your job.
But, could you make the logo bigger?
Bigger, bigger, make it big.
Make the logo bigger.

Chorus
Make the logo as big as you can.
And make the logo bigger.

What it takes to be a good designer?

To understand better how people work, it is recommended to use Myers-Briggs Indicator.

Jung Myers-Briggs Type Indicator documents 16 personality types based on four categories: Extroversion vs. Introversion, Intuiting vs. Sensing, Thinking vs. Feeling, and Judging vs. Perceiving. ISFJ is said to be the perfect personality if you wish to be a designer.

According to Myers-Briggs Indicator designers are believed to be:

• Introverted – likes to work alone, seeks to understand the world, prefers depth over breadth
• Sensing – trusts facts and data, accepts the world as it is, prefers practicality
• Feeling – seeks harmony, considers the feelings of others
• Judging – gains control through planning, focuses on results

Michal Roller was curious if it’s really so and carried out the test among 64 designers, to prove it is not true and designers may have other personality traits and still be creative. The results were following (click on it to see bigger):

Results showed a strong level of Intuition and Judging among the group. And there was no strong personality trait that was the most popular. If you wish to know more about yourself please take the test HERE.

Vimeo takeover

Vimeo is known as a high-quality competitor to YouTube. Here are same good examples how to take over Vimeo. For full experience please see the Honda video here and my personal favorite Frito Lay Dips video here.

Honda Insight - Let It Shine from Honda on Vimeo.

“And Then There Was Salsa” from Frito Lay Dips on Vimeo.

Pepsi Max's TVC

Asteroid is coming. Show some love. Now.

Battery test

I know what happens to kids when they are bored. Some versions are presented here:

The brief given to agency was to increase sales of Energizer Lithium Batteries over the Christmas period. Target audience being parents, due to the amount of batteries being purchased over the Christmas period, namely for toys.

The slogan is: The world’s longest lasting battery.

But here is a very nice time-lapse video test showing which battery actually dies first. So do not let their toys dye, but to not buy Energizer. As these ads do not give a competitive advantage to the Energizer battery and as they are not the market leader then these ads are just nice battery ads, but to not directly increase Energizer sales. This doesn't count that they are saying to be the longest lasting batteries. As they are not telling the truth, obviously, and customers are not simple-minded.

McDonalds in the Vancouver 2010 mode...

Simple Viral

Now that Vancouver will be hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, these are some questions people from all over the world are asking. Believe it or not these questions about Canada were posted on an International Tourism Website. Obviously the answers are a joke; but the questions were really asked!

Q: I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow?(England )

A. We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch them die.

Q: Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? ( USA )

A: Depends on how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto - can I follow the Railroad tracks? (Sweden )

A: Sure, it's only four thousand miles, take lots of water.

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada ? ( Sweden )

A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q: Are there any ATM's (cash machines) in Canada ? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto , Vancouver , Edmonton and Halifax ? ( England )

A: No, but you'd better bring a few extra furs for trading purposes.

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada ? ( USA)

A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Ca-na-da is that big country to your North...oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Calgary. Come naked.

Q: Which direction is North in Canada ? ( USA )

A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada ?( England )

A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? ( USA )

A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Vancouver and in Calgary, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Q: Do you have perfume in Canada ? ( Germany )

A: No, WE don't stink.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Where can I sell it in Canada ?( USA )

A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than the male population? ( Italy )

A: Yes, gay nightclubs.

Q: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada ? ( USA )

A: Only at Thanksgiving.

Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round?(Germany )

A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is illegal.

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada, but I forget its name. It's a kind of big horse with horns. ( USA )

A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent, eating the brains of anyone walking close to them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )

A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.

The golden rule of Facebook marketing.

As a keen Facebook user, I think I’m going to explode if another Facebook fan page I belong to, declares sth. like “some more effort and we have e.g. 300, 1000 or 10 000 fans. Go tell everybody... and we will maybe give you a free ticket to the cinema/spa/ or wherever”. I do not want to feel their effort and I do not want to feel that I, as their fan, have become a marketing tool for them. I want to see interesting/useful content and warm-hearted/smart people behind it. Why they have to beg people to become their fans? Earn the trust, do not beg for it.

Teletransporter

Somebody realized how funny men are when they are lying and campaigned it.

Opera marketing

Last night was an important day for the Estonian National Opera. Finally they have got the point how real entertainment marketing is made. Although Estonian National Opera has its keen fans and loyal customers, their big dream has been that opera would spread to masses and it would be more popular.

Last night the Estonian National Opera and Estonian Television merged their forces and broadcasted a premiere of a light comedian opera emotionally fed into every Estonian: “The Love for Three Oranges” on two different channels. ETV showed the live performance on stage and ETV2 did live broadcast 1 h before, during and after the show. Estonian National Opera got their fame for musical theatre and Estonian Television had the chance to promote their ETV 2 channel, which has not reached masses yet, using it to broadcast the most interesting behind the scenes part.

The best part is that it did not come out stiff and boring, as to be expected. It was lively, interesting, full of good emotions and what’s most important: showed the side of the opera singers usually kept in vain: a very humorous and humane side. I’m not a big opera fan myself, but this was just a pure pleasure. And those who are afraid that showing a premiere on TV would reduce the ticket sale are totally wrong. Singers are made into the starts, everybody wants to see for themselves and the atmosphere described made even me wanna go and buy opera tickets for an upcoming season. It was a brilliantly conducted image campaign.

Brilliant, just brilliant.

L O G O R A M A

French guys have completed a short film that consists only of logos. The plot itself seems meaningless, but the execution is very funny and well done. Apparently they have won many prizes. Congrats. See their website.

Authors seem unwilling to share the full 17 min. short movie and already there is buzz that as soon as somebody downloads it to Vimeo or YouTube, it will be removed claiming to be under author protection. Well, I had the lucky chance to see it before removal and can say that all that buzz is not really worth it.

But everybody wants to see the movie everybody is talking about, but only a few have had the chance to see, so I hope that soon we get a nice case study how to generate buzz in order to promote a movie. I’ve made my small contribution here.

Here’s a short trailer:

Fish bouillon cube

Areas of expertise overlapping. Heavily.

When I came to advertising it was all black and white to me. Advertising agency does advertisements and marketing strategies, PR takes care of publicity and hard-core lobbying, media broker books the media and Social Media guys keep up the buzz. Today if I were a client I would be very confused, as the lines overlap heavily and in the era of economical slowdown companies have broadened their area of expertise not horizontally but vertically, taking over professions from other area-related sectors. And it’s perfectly wise to have a media-oriented person in classical ad agency to develop well-directed communication strategies or a web-designer in PR company to offer full service online campaign for clients who have decided to use only PR channels for public awareness. But it raises many questions. E.g. who should do the Social Media monitoring? Is it SM provider itself, PR, media or research company? Whom to choose finally to get the best value for money solutions that work: the price leader, the most prestigious one, the most enthusiastic one, the one who promises ROI etc.?

I think the answer relies in every company’s core needs and marketing strategies. But well known fact is that companies do not create effective complex strategies, people behind them do. So trust your inner guts and choose the right people behind your company/brand. Do not only judge by the reputed company name or the wide area of expertise. Choose the best professionals from every field and do not opt for all in one solutions, although it might seem more comfortable. The trick is to put them all working for you in the best way possible, so no one has a chance to get lazy.

Someone got Mini for Christmas !

Looks like someone got Mini for Christmas and threw the box away.

Ambient campaign by Mini, who placed large boxes on the streets, so garbage men could pick them up.

As an AM, I really want to know the city government who allowed to trash up the city centre. I do not admire the idea as it’s nothing new (look here), I fancy the people behind it.

Happy New Year!

I’m late? Just a little bit?

As social media communication in marketing has taken over in a rush, then saying this at 00.30 would have done the trick, but now i'm desperately late. Now when you say something has higher importance than what you say. Timing, timing, timing.

PR people have been aiming the timing of their press releases in order to predict when is the right time to hit news on the prime time. Now in the era of instant communication everybody has the possibility to share news at the core moment of their happening. There is so much power in one sentence. This has created a new possibility for the marketers to create marketing communication relevant to the moment. Sharp, determined and fast. Happy New Year.

Discover sharks in Discovery

See how many sharks there are in Bondi Beach from here.

Leave your heart in Riga.

The Riga Tourism Development Bureau (RTAB) launched a marketing and communications campaign aimed to promote tourism in Riga for five weeks and invites travelers from Estonia, Russia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland, Germany and Sweden to visit Riga as an attractive destination.

What I like about that campaign:

I love that they have taken one leading idea and visualized it so well. The idea is that once you have visited Riga, you will leave your heart behind. Those hearts are a pleasure to look at and are Latvian by every meaning. The concept of the website is very organized and simple. As a regular tourist I find it as very easy to use while planning a getaway. So I love the brand design and web.

What I do not like about that campaign:

Live Riga consider their symbols – a heart which remains in Riga and the city as the birthplace of the tradition of Christmas trees – are sufficiently powerful and of use both in the West and the East. About that heart they are right. This heart is cute and won my heart, but as a true Estonian, I know that the tradition of Christmas trees originates form Tallinn (Wikipedia), so I consider this money bad spent in this country. They should have picked another approaching angle to Estonians.

They have also brought out that they will be active in social media. That’s good. The funny thing is that Facebook link leads me to nowhere. When I type in Live Riga it is not a community, it is listed as a person and displays only “Limited information”. Second option in Groups is Riga Escort. So much for the reputation-building attempt. In YouTube you can see five different videos starring a person correctly chosen to match the target countries. Those videos are quite boring narratives telling what the person speaking likes the most about Riga. These actually do not speak to me at all.Last but not least. The budget for the campaign is LVL 898,000 (EUR 1 222 909) !

But I still love that heart and probably will visit Riga in the future many times.

What destroys great ideas ?

Pics made by Scott-C. Thanks to Helene, for sharing.