April Fools' Day: The Holiday for Marketers

Generally when a person thinks of April Fools' Day, one pictures practical jokes such as tooth-paste filled Oreos, saran-wrapped doorways, and cottage-cheese coated deodorant sticks;  not giving someone a free luxury car. Well that is exactly what BMW New Zealand did on the holiday.

An Auckland dealership posted an advertisement in a local newspaper on April 1st stating that whoever brought in their old vehicle with the advertisement cut-out could trade their car for a brand new BMW. Of course, everyone took this article to be a joke as many companies pull on the day. In this case however, the company actually meant what they said and fulfilled the promise for one lucky woman who brought in her old junker with the coupon and ended up with an upgraded BMW. The next day news of the transaction went viral and the dealership received tons of free publicity by those amazed by the dealership keeping its word and those wishing they had believed the advertisement when they first saw it. 

This demonstrates their company's marketers thinking outside of the box. There is always new ways to gain positive publicity other than paid advertisements, and while trading a new BMW for an older car isn't necessarily cheap- the publicity gained from it was definitely well worth it.

Tricking the Critics

Some consumers always stand on the forefront, waiting to catch errors and point out the mistakes of companies' statements or advertisements as if it gains them some sort of personal reward or satisfaction. While most brands have always despised this type of customer, some companies have learned to utilize this one annoying buzz to their advantage.

Hostess recently released an advertisement in which they posted "Touchdown" to commemorate the opening of baseball season. While many younger online users realize this to be "trolling" or the action of purposely trying to generate a rise out of people by posting controversial or subjective material, other users haven't caught on and began causing a widely publicized stir about the brand's "mistake". While some marketers may argue that it is negative publicity for the company, many others claim it is brilliant as most of the consumer base sees and feels like they are in on the joke thus causing no harm to the overall brand image. 

Monster.com also released a similar online advertisement following the Superbowl in which they congratulated the wrong team for the big win. However when the user hovered their mouse cursor over the advertisement, a new line appeared with the text, "No matter why you're looking for a new job, we can help you find better," followed with the congratulations for the correct winning team and a job search for Social Media Manager. Using these types of fake mistakes in one's marketing tactics are a creative way to generate attention to one's advertisements and gain more publicity than a regular advertisement. The key here is to just make sure that the "mistake" is visible to most of the viewers as a joke, otherwise the real joke is on the brand.

Meerkat: The Latest App on the Block

There was a lot of buzz at this year's SXSW conference for the innovative new app Meerkat, which allows users to stream live-feed footage in real time. In particular it has been extremely successful on the social platform Twitter, where Twitterers are able to stream footage straight to their followers in the moment of their occurrence. Currently Meerkat has been popular with reporters and newscasters, who require the necessary tools to provide news and new information at a moment's notice. However, other professionals are beginning to look towards the app for uses in their own industry.

Real Estate consultants have begun doing live-feed open houses showing their properties to interested prospects. Likewise, sport teams like the Miami Dolphins have used the app to announce new players to their followers while famous Tony Hawk used Meerkat to give a quick performance to his fans. For companies looking for a new and quick way to reach their followers and potential customers while crafting creative engaging content in real time, Meerkat may hold a lot of potential for marketing efforts and brand promotion. 

YouTube's New Interactive 360 Degree Videos

YouTube recently introduced this awesome new feature which allows users to post 360 degree interactive footage. Using a specialized camera, you can now record videos from multiple angles at the same time. When viewers click on the video, a directional stick appears similar to video games and allows the video viewer to turn the angle of the video in multiple directions. Even more interesting, when mobile users watch videos they can actually turn their phone in the direction they wish to see the recorders perspective from; as if holding a window into a new world. For those who may be wondering why this is being mentioned on a digital marketing blog, the answer is because there is huge potential for companies, brands, and marketers to utilize this new video software to create interesting and engaging content.

Red Bull has already taken advantage of the opportunity to showcase an F-1 racing down a track for viewers to witness the high speed experience for the seat of a driver; enabling adrenaline junkies to connect that positive association with adventurous and action-packed activities with their energy drink brand. However there are a multitude of industries that could use 360 degree video to help promote their brand or products. Real estate companies could produce videos of walk-throughs  through their properties in which potential customers can now use the footage to see all angles of the house without having to make an actual trip down there. Likewise, cities and countries looking for tourism could make videos displaying beautiful and scenic part of their respective areas to encourage visitors to come see it in person. Potentially, the possibilities are endless if marketers use a little creativity. Regardless, I definitely think we will be seeing the use of 360 degree interactive footage become prominent in both online video advertisements and entertainment mediums as its popularity gains momentum.

The Components of a Great Phone App

In a recent interview, Mashable sat down with mobile guru Rameet Chawla to discuss the key components of creating a successful mobile app. In a marketplace saturated with apps from companies and independent designers wishing to cash in on the popularity of the mobile world, it has become extremely competitive for an app to truly stick out and make a return on investment. However Chawla has theorized that by taking a few important steps when implementing one's idea, a successful app can be made.

Chawla emphasizes that the main focus on the app's creation should be on how the idea is put into action and what it is doing, rather than its presentation. Churning out a sub-par product and polishing it up will win less fans than a more basic-looking app that is actually useful. App creators should concentrate on adding value to the user, people generally don't download something they don't find enticing or interesting. Chawla also mentions that for capturing the Millennial demographic, innovation is quintessential. While for older generations, an easy to use interface may be more practical, Millennials group up with technology and desire an app that pushes the limits of technology. This demographic age can very easily adapt to a more complicated interface, and seek app designers that utilize all features of the device and technology that is available at that time. Lastly, app designers should make sure to differentiate their ideas from ones already on the market to ensure they stand out among the plethora of similar apps being introduced daily.

Rameet Chawla claims by implementing all of these components, the chances of being successful in the app market place for both Androids and iPhones should increase heavily. Implement the idea in a well-planned manner, push the limits of available technology/ device capabilities, and differentiate your app from others in the market and success will eventually follow.

Giving Homes the Story They Deserve

Houses and residential properties are some of the oldest products to be sold in the modern world.  For years, marketers have recycled the same methods of advertising them; utilizing catalogs, print advertisements, and "For Sale" signs. However houses are more than a place where a person simply lives, they are homes. They're a place where people enjoy the company of friends and family, make memories, and ultimately can feel safe and comfortable. With the availability and integration of digital media into all aspects of modern-day life, some real-estate marketers have finally decided to step up their game, and utilize online video channels to not only show the physical appearance of a house, but also the story and emotional connection that goes along with it.

DNB Bank's real-estate division, for example, crafted a heartwarming video on Vimeo showcasing one family's experiences growing up and raising a family in a home, not only showing the beautiful interior of the house, but also the emotional attachment and memories connected to it. This allows potential home-owners to exercise their own imagination of the wonderful life they can have if they choose to purchase and move into one of the company's houses. It gives the properties more than just a price-tag, it adds a face and story- something that you can't just put a monetary figure on. Other companies have also began to follow-suit with video story-telling; some using humor, some using romance, but all telling a story that can be passed on to the consumer. With the success being displayed by these new advertising efforts, I would not be surprised if many companies begin to adopt this method of marketing in an online digital age where stories can be shared to tens of thousands of potential consumers at a time. Most importantly, I think brands and companies of many industries can learn sometimes it's not just about the product and the price, but the stories and memories to be made with their products.

Mobile Gaming Evolving: The Next Big Advertising Platform

The year's Super Bowl featured a new flair of commercials from the mobile gaming industry in its mix. With hefty $4.5 million dollar 30 second airtime slots, mobile games have shown just how profitable they've become. Three of the games advertised during the super bowl were Clash of Clans, Game of War: Fire Age, and Heroes Charge; two of which were able to hire well-known celebrities to appear in their ads. Interestingly, no traditional gaming platforms aired advertisements during the Super Bowl, proving the strength the mobile industry is gaining in the gaming world.

Digital marketers have taken notice of the grasp mobile games have grabbed in the gaming industry and the large audience demographics they have taken with it. While platform systems and PC games have often had a predominately young male demographic, mobile games spawns a wide age group composed of both genders and all ages thus making them a highly attractive candidate for advertisers who wish to reach a wide audience. Also as opposed to traditional gaming systems, mobile games are  constantly with consumers and accessed during all parts of the day since all a person has to do is pull the phone out of their pocket or purse. For companies and brands that are able to integrate their advertisements into games in fashionable manners, the ad spaces can become very lucrative. In the past, in-game advertisements have existed but once a game was released they could no longer be up-dated or changed, however mobile games allow marketers to evolve and update their advertisements as the gamer get farther along, or can offer differing advertisements based on the consumer demographic who is playing their game. It will definitely be interesting to see how mobile gaming continues to grow as their popularity spreads and if traditional platform and PC gaming systems will be able to reclaim advertisers as they search for the next big medium to display their ad campaigns.