Scott Monty, my former crayon colleague, is now head of Social Media at Ford. They have a gem of a site about the Ford Mustang. One of my favorite videos was Father’s Day. Gotta admit, I shed a tear :-). Great piece.
Loved the approach for introducing the 2010 Mustang. Besides the leaks of images and info and other approaches, Ford did the following here:
1. They setup as this tribute site to the Mustang
2. Their passionate Mustang fans submitted stories and videos
3. they ran a competition with a phenomenal prize - the 2010 Mustang
4. The public voted for the winner
5. They had a written and a video section so ludites and technos could enter
6. The stories and videos are entertaining, funny, touching.
November 4, 2008 was an amazing night for America. An African American man wins the general election running as an American who happens to be African American. Many thought that people’s vote may have been swayed by race. In the end it wasn’t even close and America showed that it has come a long way. And many Americans are pretty proud of that, whatever the outcome of the Obama Presidency. With all the problems we face in America, last night was an elixir for many.
I have been privileged to have witnessed similar history before and the emotions this time were seemingly different, but yet the same.Except this time – it was happening around me.Last time, I watched from across an ocean as Nelson Mandela walked out of jail a free man.After spending a lifetime incarcerated because of his strong will and quest for justice, peace, freedom and equal rights regardless of race color or creed.And shortly thereafter I watched as people lined up for hours (some waited overnight) around city blocks and in rural areas as all South Africans voted, many for the very first time. And Mandela was elected President of nation divided for so long, yet hopeful for a new future and at the same time fearful of the unknown. The first black President of a country that never imagined or thought that they would get there anytime soon.
Mandela sworn in as President
“We have fought for a democratic constitution since the 1880s. Ours has been a quest for a constitution freely adopted by the people of South Africa, reflecting their wishes and their aspirations. The struggle for democracy has never been a matter pursued by one race, class, religious community or gender among South Africans. In honouring those who fought to see this day arrive, we honour the best sons and daughters of all our people. We can count amongst them Africans, Coloureds, Whites, Indians, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jews – all of them united by a common vision of a better life for the people of this country.”Nelson Mandela at Cape Town’s City Hall on the day he was elected President of South Africa.
How would you like to have 20,000 fans screaming your product’s name multiple times, supported by your name plastered all over the stadium and on the players shirts and on the T-Shirts handed out at the game, and having your name on every media channel reporting on the game? Sounds like a sponsor’s dream opportunity.
That is exactly what happened on Saturday night at the NY RedBulls soccer game at Giants Stadium as the one side of the Stadium screamed out: RED…. and the other side of the stadium responded …BULLS!.
Red….. Bulls Red…… Bulls Red…….. Bulls and on and on it went.
“This is fun Dad” said my 7 year old between screams of “BULLS!”. “I think we are shouting louder than the other side. Red…. BULLS! Red… BULLS!”
Me: (After the umpteenth BULLS! in my ear): “I get it - you don’t have to shout.”
You are reading a preview of Red…Bull, Red…Bull, RedBull and a great Father-Son Experience. Read the full post here.
The New York MTA is looking at new advertising opportunities to generate revenue to close the budget shortfall in the next year. They are trying a few pilot programs with the subway, the latest being to wrap the interior and exterior surfaces of the Times Square Shuttle between Grand Central and Times Square.
A second approach supported by billboards, involves wrapping the turnstiles completely or Ads on the turnstiles like this Ad for the NavyforMoms.com:
While I have seen a few comments about enough messages being out there and that the commute is one with enough “noise”, I for one do not have a problem receiving or choosing to ignore one way advertising that keeps the price of commuting down. Additionally, it actually changes the experience a bit as you are stepping into a message that wraps you entirely especially when the doors close - and it is somewhat unusual for now. Similar programs are being tried in other cities.
No, that is not spy speak or code to my sleepers! Mark and Sara Schiller who run Electric Artists the strategic branding and marketing shop in NY, have opened a cool new meeting place in NY called “Meet At The Apartment”.
With workplaces becoming more casual and in some cases disappearing in favor of remote home and virtual options, Conference rooms are at a premium. Enter Meet At the Apartment.
My car insurance bill has been steadily rising, year after year, despite the fact that I have a clean record. The logic, I’m sure, was, “well, let’s raise it a little and see who quits…”
If revenue increases enough to make up for the few who quit, you come out ahead. So, quarter after quarter, year after year, repeat the same process. Raise it a little, check to see if revenue rises in aggregate, and repeat.
Mitch takes a different path and chooses to use his base to educate through highlighting issues, not companies and the fact patterns, responses and implications of the responses as opportunities for learning. By not creating sensationalist headlines that leverage brand names, Mitch highlights issues which becomes a positive force for change in an engaged way. Screaming at companies “Hey look at me and my crowd” while demanding things is not an easy way to win friends and influence results at a company. Most companies see the result as setting a precedent for others to follow and feel they are “damned if they do and damned if they don’t.”
People on a check-in line and passengers on a plane are part of short lived communities.Shared experiences, common goals and a whole host of other things regardless of whether they are good or bad.One of our Social Media brethren has been off on a “Delta Skelter”.Based on my recent experience where Delta caused me to miss my flight to South Africa, I have thought a lot about the meaning of the power of community, partnership and dialogue.
So I took my kids to the McDonalds drive-through the other day and as I pulled up to the register window, this sign was facing me covering most of the window:
We are talking about one of the highest margin products and we are being nickled and dimed. Really - If I ask for 32 ounces and pay for the 32 ounce - I EXPECT 32 OUNCES! Not 21 ounces at a 32 ounce price! Instead of filling the 32 ounce cup with ice and displacing half of the drink or more, why not give what you are advertising - a 32 ounce drink! And don’t shove it in my face - train your staff to nicely say what the message is. Whatever happened to hold the ice?? Now we know.
