Category Archives: social media

Got 15 minutes? Make a TV spot like Geico’s.

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Kirk

“If you can type, you can make movies,” says the Xtranormal web site. So, Geico figured, why not make TV commercials? Really cheesy ones. With really lame animation and robotic voiceovers. Xtranormal is the site where, for next to nothing, you can write, cast and direct animated videos and then post them for the world to see. It’s where the wildly viral (over 11 million views) iPhone4 vs. HTC Evo video was created. (Profanity alert.) Among major advertisers, Geico is an anomaly. Conventional wisdom suggests sticking to one creative strategy and pounding it. Instead, Geico fields multiple concepts simultaneously, including … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, budgeting, social media, strategy | Comments Off

Directory of dead communications channels

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Kirk

If you haven’t read the obits lately, you may want to brace yourself for some shocking news: Just about every communications channel you know has died. Sorry to be the one to tell you. As a service to BrandSTOKE’s readers, I provide the following directory of links to the various death announcements. If you are aware of any additional passings, please forward them for inclusion on the list. Our thoughts and prayers are with the next of kin. Branding is dead Mass marketing is dead Traditional marketing is dead Local media is dead Advertising is dead Real estate advertising is … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, interactive marketing, mass media, public relations, search engine marketing, social media | 9 Comments

Can Nike rescue Lebron?

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Kirk

Not in Cleveland. Watch Nike’s overwrought effort to recast Lebron as a misunderstood victim. Then watch the parody spot by Dan Wantz, a Cleveland filmmaker. Each spot has been viewed over 3 million times on YouTube … and counting. Lebron asks, “What should I do?” Nike may be asking themselves the same question.

Posted in advertising, loyalty, public relations, social media | 5 Comments

Health-care reform apparently involves lots of dancing

Posted on October 5, 2010 by Kirk

What is it about life-or-death medical situations that make you want to burst into song? Ask the Laryngospasms, a singing group from Minnesota composed of anesthesiologists. Their string of medical song parodies landed them a shot on America’s Got Talent. They’re not alone. You can hardly swing a deductible these days without hitting a singing nurse or technician. Performing health-care professionals abound on YouTube, representing the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing, UAB Hospital Emergency Department, Southwestern Vermont Health Care, Gwinnet Urgent Care, and so on. Do you find singing about life-threatening surgery entertaining or offensive? How far is … Continue reading →

Posted in cause marketing, health care, social media | Comments Off

ChalkBot remembers Mom

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Kirk

Nike’s Chalkbot may be the perfect convergence of technology, social media, and cause marketing. Essentially a pneumatic chalk-paint sprayer driven by a computer, ChalkBot takes messages from around the world via text messaging, Facebook, Twitter and the LiveSTRONG web site, and sprays them in yellow on the roads of the Tour de France during the event. According to The Inspiration Room blog, the system includes a text-message interface, web-based queue and approval system for tour officials, onboard machine and nozzle control, spray mechanism, camera and GPS capture system, and Twitter integration. (See how it works below.) The messages generally support … Continue reading →

Posted in cause marketing, event marketing, health care, interactive marketing, promotion, social media | 9 Comments

Clean Bottle awareness summits at Tour de France

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Kirk

At this year’s Tour de France, Bottle Boy was a hit. Bottle Boy represents Clean Bottle, a new reusable sports bottle that unscrews at both ends. The rather simplistic design concept makes the job of cleaning residue out of the bottom of the bottle easy and helps prevent mold, a concern among runners, cyclists, hikers, and other athletes. The product is available through REI and others. Clean Bottle launched only months ago with a limited budget. So Dave Mayer, founder, built the five-foot-tall Bottle Boy costume and booked a flight to the Tour de France. On twelve of the stages, … Continue reading →

Posted in event marketing, packaging, promotion, social media | 6 Comments