WDFA TODAY

Should Cell Phones Go Viral?

The backbone of Viral Marketing is experience –- putting a product in a consumer’s hand, letting them have their own unique reaction to it that will, hopefully, be positive. Not just a simple “I like it” or “I don’t like it,” but a deeper, almost emotional response.

For a cell phone user, it’s no longer about coverage, minutes in a month, or even how cool the phone is. The phone is no longer a communication device; it’s grown up to become a personal lifestyle tool. With web surfing abilities, music, pictures, and video capabilities, phones and cellular service is now an incredibly intimate way to express yourself and communicate with the world.

The way to go viral is to show how easy and personal the service/device can be and how it make the users’ lives better. Remember, the cell phone industry is no longer in its infancy –- It’s just now starting to hit its strides. A viral campaign that connects to the consumer to their friends and family would be the way to go. How about a campaign that would let people take pictures and video and, with one click, upload to a social network site so their lives can be documented easily? You’d never have to upload a picture to Facebook again. How you like ‘dem apples!

You should read about Open Source Applications for phones and how they will change the landscape of cellular in the coming years.

Be Not Afraid – Giving Up Control to the Buzz

The idea of communication through online social networking is relatively recent, though given the rapid evolution and accessibility of the Internet, it seems like old hat to us. Blogging, Facebook, MySpace, Friendster… Sites come and go like fads, depending on what’s cool that moment. We’re obsessed with expressing our likes, moods, breakups, recent purchases, and we want to know what everyone else thinks about, well, everything and everyone else. Before we buy a something, we’ll read reviews. To catch up with old friends, we’ll join Facebook. When we’re bored at work, we’ll read celebrity gossip blogs. We’re online all the time, and we’ve inadvertently become an incredibly influential voice for consumer products. 

So, naturally, advertising and marketing agencies have turned to online community dwellers to create a dialogue (hopefully a positive one) that sways others into appreciating, identifying with, and ultimately buying their product. People who initiate the buzz are the trendsetters; and whatever their opinion is, it’s quickly adopted by everyone else. MySpace used to be a site that a few people knew about –- Without any marketing, MySpace kept growing and adding users. Because of the positive word of mouth and keyboard strokes, brands grow.

As you may have guessed, the only problem with putting the success of your product totally in the hands of the consumer is that you better have a damn good product to sell, otherwise you’ll crash and burn before takeoff. It’s human nature that we express ourselves more when about something we hate, than about something we love. It’s a huge risk, which is why most companies don’t do this. But is it worth the risk? I think it all depends on the quality of and confidence in your product, timing, and how much control you’re willing to surrender.

Direct vs Memorable

Which is more important in advertising? An ad that is to-the-point and just tells you what you need to know about a product, or an ad that is clever and memorable? No reason it can’t be both, but what if you had to choose? 

Companies put a lot of thought, time, and money into being clever these days. The goal is to be unique and unforgettable so your brand stands out among the competition. But if everyone were successfully pulling this off, it would be standard practice and inadvertently negate its original purpose.  An example of commercials not being unique –- the Emerald Nuts commercial from this year’s Super Bowl. It was funny (a bizarre depiction of “Eagle-eyed Machete Enthusiasts Recognize A Little Druid Networking Under The Stairs” as an acronym for Emeralds Nuts), but can anybody actually recall what the commercial is selling? On the other hand, Esurance (commercials depicting animated characters with an edgy, superhero style who save unfortunate souls from expensive car insurance) is very creative, very memorable and communicates clearly what their services are. Their look is their own, and it has helped identify their brand in the market place and in our minds.

We are exposed to almost 5,000 ads everyday. And we only really remember 2 or 3 of them. As an advertising company, you need to make your customers not only care about what you have to say, but remember who you are and what your product stands for.

From Pots to Bowls – Why the Cultural Consumer is Powerful

I once read an article about the so-called American cultural Melting Pot, and how people had forecasted one day that the US would be less of a Melting Pot and more of a “Salad Bowl” –- Everyone would mix, but they would preserve and respect each other's cultures. That’s where we are today. Even for those of us who grew up not long ago in the 80’s, there was a fear and rejection of people and ideas different from the average. Today the US is (thankfully) more open-minded. There is this mass acceptance of all cultures, religions, and traditions and people actively seek to know more about other people. Americans, regardless of their ethnicity or upbringing, are increasingly interested in cross-cultural events, films, customs, languages, and travel. 

From a marketing perspective, advertising to audiences based solely on sex, age, or income is no longer enough. The average consumer is desensitized to marketing that isn’t specific to them. They’ve seen it forever. It’s no longer just about creativity –- It’s about connection now. Whether it’s language, images, or other cultural aspects that makes marketing successful, we’ve got to connect because the cultural consumer is a powerful one.