Our final round-up of sites that make the web an easier place to be, adapted from the Small But Perfectly Formed selection published in Contagious 26.
5. Paper.li
Swamped by social media? Terrorized by Twitter? Fed up with Facebook? Paper.li can solve the problem. It allows users to create personalized newspapers based on the links shared on social media.
To make your paper, chose from a list of predetermined sections such as technology, arts and entertainment or business news. Paper.li filters your social media streams by subject rather than chronological order, plopping stories neatly into their relevant sections. Then you simply browse your paper on your desktop, all the non-relevant links swept away. You can also create an amusing title for your newspaper and share it with others (if they’re not already overloaded, of course).
Paper.li is the latest and one of the most efficient among new services that are turning us all into instant publishers.
Conclusion: The sites prove that there is a marked trend toward cutting through the clutter and delivering a web attuned to personal tastes and desires. This was inevitable, as the cacophony of social and traditional media was becoming too much for any normal human to handle. Brands should bear this in mind: if they just add to the clutter, rather than helping consumers manage it, they may find themselves on the wrong side of the filtering process.
Mad Blog continues its round-up of sites that make the web an easier place to be, adapted from the Small But Perfectly Formed selection by Contagious.
3. Gripe
In the pre-digital era, when shops or companies treated customers badly, only the victim’s immediate family and friends heard about it. Now, a complaint can spread across social media like wildfire. Remember “United breaks guitars”, a YouTube song by a disgruntled musician who blamed the airline for wrecking his guitar? It attracted 150,000 views in one day.
Gripe makes that kind of firepower available to everyone. Just download the Gripe app, search for the company you wish to criticise, then add your complaint – or praise, as the app includes both “gripe” and “cheer” buttons. Companies can log in to track their progress and address the gripes, with the aim of converting them into cheers. www.gri.pe
4. Equipio.com
People who enjoy social media aren’t just geeks glued to their screens. They’re sports fanatics too – and Equipio is aimed at them. Its slogan “What’s in your sports bag?” pretty much sums up what it does.
By clicking on a list of sports professionals, users can find out what equipment the pros use and then buy it online, from the latest England rugby shirt to Roger Federer’s racket. They can also get in touch with fellow users and exchange information about their favourite gear. Equipio constantly rounds up the most popular items and curates reviews from all over the web, including Twitter. When buyers are ready to spend, it links them to the appropriate online shopping site. Sports brands naturally love the site and are keen sponsors. www.equipio.com
One of Mad Blog’s favourite reads, Contagious, has identified an interesting trend in the latest edition of its Small But Perfectly Formed survey. Faced with a wealth of information, it says, consumers are relying on “trusted filters” to provide them with the stuff they really need to know – whether it’s the greatest gigs, the best bargains or the essential news from social media.
SBPF is a regular round-up of start-ups or companies that “punch above their weight”. This time, Contagious identifies five filters that we should all be aware of. We’ve re-filtered them for your reading pleasure and divided them into three espresso-sized posts.
1. Songkick
Ever felt the urge to see some live music, but had no idea who’s playing? This UK and US service was founded by three friends who were fed up with trawling the web to find a gig worth seeing. They discovered that 40% of concert tickets went unsold, purely because music fans didn’t even know they were available.
Users of the service provide a list of their favourite artists. Songkick gathers data from more than 100 ticketing sites and alerts users when a gig matches their favourites. The alert comes with a link to the ticket vendor. Songkick takes a commission from the resulting sale. Obviously, it rocks. www.songkick.com
2. Nuji
There are many ways of finding a bargain on the web, but few of them are as simple as Nuji.
When you’re out and about in the world, you see an object you might like to buy. Using an app on your phone, you take a picture of the product and add it to the wish list on your Nuji profile. Then wait to be alerted about special offers concerning your desired object. You can also browse other members’ selections and share your wish list on Facebook Connect. It’s an online shopping site with a mobile heart and a social soul. www.nuji.com
Absolut’s new Facebook page in Germany invites users to enjoy a privileged relationship with the Swedish vodka brand. One thing that may strike visitors is that the iconic bottle is not featured. That’s because the page is not about product, but lifestyle. And a pretty fun contemporary culture, at that.
“Most brands use Facebook pages tell users about new flavours, new colours or whatever, but we wanted to be different,” says TBWA Berlin digital creative director Frederik Frede.
An element called RSVP allows users to register with the brand. For Absolut, the benefit is obvious: a database containing the e-mail addresses of the brand’s greatest fans. But the fans get something valuable in return: first notice of Absolut-related events and occasions, from special downloads to concert tickets.
Another element, Featured Freitag (or ‘Featured Friday’) is a blog packed full of stories and video about fashion, design, music and creativity. On any given Friday you might find soccer-playing robots, an amazing playlist, or sneak peaks of a forthcoming movie about the digital revolution.
“There are over 15 million people on Facebook in Germany, so that was a massive argument for creating the page,” says Dirk Henkelmann, creative director at TBWA Berlin. “We agreed with Absolut that it had to be more than just advertising. If you’re going have a conversation, you need to have something interesting to give.”
For the Featured Friday content, TBWA is working with Absolut’s PR agency, K-MB. Similarly, Absolut’s Facebook community is being coordinated by i365, a joint venture between TBWA and social media specialists buw Group. “An rewarding and enriching collaboration,” says Dirk.
The Facebook format presented certain design challenges – so the team decided to concentrate on benefits rather than beauty. “Wait until you see what’s coming next on the page,” advises Frederik. “I can’t tell you about it yet – but it’s going to be awesome.”
TBWA Europe’s Vice President Innovation Petteri Kilpinen has written a great book. In Finnish. So we asked him to translate the best bits. Get set for The New Gold Rush in six highlights.
1. The golden age of media
The media revolution we’re experiencing right now is so incredible that in 50 years time, people will wish they’d been here. That’s why I compare it to the California gold rush – a time of excitement and opportunity. From social media to smart phones, digital is utterly transforming our lives. In places like Tunisia and Egypt, it has given a voice to those who were powerless. We are witnessing the forced birth of increased transparency among governments and corporations.
2. Richer, faster, easier
Panning for a gold was a long, painstaking process. But today’s digital entrepreneurs can build businesses that might grow in value from thousands of dollars to billions in less than a year. It has never been easier to create or attract value than it is now: what used to take decades is now achievable in only a few months. And the founders of Google and Facebook don’t look as if they come from another world. They’re young guys who had a good idea. If we find that nugget of gold, we could be like them.
3. Globalisation for all
The concept of globalisation sounds all-embracing, but it fact it was the domain of a few giant companies. Since the internet, globalisation is open to everyone. Not only is it cheaper to make your ideas a reality, but it is also cheaper to promote them worldwide. Connectivity will also cause the death of what I call “regional thinking”. Instead of joining forces with our geographic neighbours, we will join forces with those who are more like us. For example, Finland has more in common with New Zealand than it does with France.
4. Knowledge for all, too
If knowledge is power, today power definitely belongs to the people. Thanks to Google and the other search engines, almost everyone has access to limitless knowledge at the click of a mouse. Mobile devices are accelerating this change. Right now there are about 400 million smart phones. In two years time there will be two billion. That means access to an infinite library, anytime, anywhere.
5. PC R.I.P.
Watching television in the traditional sense is beginning to seem pretty old-fashioned. It won’t be long before our TV screens are also our windows on the internet. In fact, I believe that the middle-sized screen – the PC – will gradually disappear from domestic environments. We’ll consume digital media either on big screens at home, or on small screens on the move.
6. Mass brands get personal
Mass communication is not a thing of the past – but it’s no longer the only game in town. Even brands with mass appeal can now build fan bases via Facebook and other social media. Pretty soon, they’ll be able to tailor products and services to specific fans, forging individual relationships. Dialogue with users and a deeper knowledge of peer groups offers rich terrain for a new, improved version of CRM. Consider the example of Skittles in the UK, which has three million fans, enabling it to engage with a mass audience in a non-mass environment.
Editor’s note: We couldn’t let Petteri plug his book without answering a few questions, so we asked him some.
Q. What does all this mean for advertising agencies?
As my colleagues put it during a recent conference, it’s the end of storytelling and the beginning of story building. We’re creating properties that people can play with, explore, extend – even redecorate, if you like. Once we understand our job in those terms, everything becomes clear.
Q. We experienced a gold rush before – the dot com boom of 1999/2000. The gold turned out to be fake. What’s different?
The dot com boom was created by financiers and the stock market. Consumers thought it all sounded pretty neat, but most of them didn’t really understand it, so adoption was too low. The social media revolution is being driven by consumers. Facebook will soon have more members than there are people in China. Even if it turns out to be overvalued, it’s not going away. This revolution is unstoppable.
Q. I get it. So how can I mine gold from social media?
It’s all about CRM. In the old days, CRM was probably the most boring aspect of marketing. It was about gathering data, putting people in boxes and then sending them messages they didn’t want to receive. But on Facebook, customers actually seek interaction with brands. It has become the greatest CRM tool in history. Because of it, CRM has become creative. In fact, CRM is now the sexiest aspect of marketing.
Petteri Kilpinen is Vice President Innovation, TBWA\Europe and heads the TBWA Group in Finland
Adidas came to TBWA\London with a big challenge: reach the active football-crazed kids who aren’t sitting in front of their TVs. So, they brought the world’s most famous football player, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, to London. With only three hours allotted, they skipped the TV spot endorsement idea and unleashed him to the public via an adidas-branded helicopter.
In the weeks leading up to his arrival, TBWA\London seeded content and cryptic messages throughout the web, hinting where Messi will be. The first stop was Hackney Marshes where local teams were in the midst of a game. The second was Brick Lane in East London where they held an on-street “kit amnesty.” Here fans were able to trade in their old boots for new F50 adizeros whilst shaking hands with Messi.
Thousands took photos and video and shared it throughout the web. 368,000 tweets, 3.5 million new adidas Facebook fans and 41% of the entire UK saw it. More proof that a unique idea can earn more media than a pre-planned schedule could ever buy.
For any comments or suggestions, send an email to Ulrich Proeschel.
What if a pet food brand was not a company selling products, but a global fan group for everyone with a furry friend? What if it was not just about dog nourishment – but about dogs?
That’s what happened when Pedigree set out on a global mission to connect with consumers like never before. Together with TBWA, the brand held Disruption Days in several markets around the world. This process led to a powerful brand idea: everything we do is for the love of dogs.
“Dogs Rule”, said TV spots and posters featuring cute, mischievous and faithful hounds. Pedigree seemed to be speaking to and on behalf of dog lovers everywhere. The company even changed its working practices to allow dogs into its offices. Salespeople went on the road with dogs. The brand behaviour reflected the disruptive idea. What’s more, this was the first time Pedigree had spoken with a single, global voice, bringing power and consistency to the brand.
But there was still more to be done. So in 2008, Pedigree’s European markets took part of the marketing budget and used it to support dogs who really needed it: the millions of dogs in shelters.
With the help of Media Arts, Pedigree turned its global idea – Everything we do is for the love of dogs – into localized brand behaviour. The adoption drive was launched across nine
European countries with an emotional, impactful TV ad. Over images of dogs behind bars, a voiceover said: “I know how to sit, how to fetch, and how to roll over. What I don’t know is – how I ended up here.” The spot explained that when customers bought any Pedigree product, the company would make a donation that would help dogs in shelters find a loving home.
In the UK, the adoption drive was launched at Crufts, a famous dog show. British actor and comedian Neil Morrissey was enlisted to host a mass dog walk in London. Pedigree even produced a weekly documentary called “Dog Rescue” featuring the UK’s leading shelter, Battersea Dogs’ Home.
In Germany, real dogs from local shelters “spoke” to dog lovers via captions on posters. Smaller markets focused on PR activities. In the Netherlands, for example, Pedigree installed cardboard cut-outs of dogs on lawns and in parks. The signs read: “I wish I was here.” In Austria, interactive posters featured dogs with many leashes – consumers could remove a leash containing details of the adoption drive. In Ireland, a hard-hitting poster featured several photos of dogs. These were removed over time, confronting the public with the fact that 43 homeless dogs are put down every day. Hungary took an online approach, allowing potential owners to pick their rescue dog from the Pedigree website.
RESULTS
The reaction was overwhelming. People showed their support not only via Web buzz, but in concrete numbers. In Ireland, the brand grew by 8% and the adoption drive generated more than €400,000 worth of free media coverage. In the UK, the campaign raised over €1.9 million for homeless dogs. The German magazine “Dogs” described Pedigree as “the most dog-loving company”. In Spain, 150,000 people subscribed to an adoption drive newsletter. And in the Netherlands, the campaign was so successful that it was extended for an extra ten weeks at the request of retailers. Across Europe, Pedigree raised over €3 million for the drive.
And most importantly, the adoption rate of dogs grew by 30%, helping thousands find loving homes.
It was the ultimate expression of Pedigree’s brand belief: to make the world a better place for dogs.
Digital death. It sounds bleak, harsh, and without a future. In fact it is optimistic, positive and quite literally lifesaving.
The Digital Death campaign was launched by TBWA\Chiat\Day New York and Keep A Child Alive, a non-profit organisation dedicated to fighting the spread of AIDS in Africa and India.
On World Aids Day, December 1 2010, Hollywood died.
The idea was brilliantly simple. Top celebrities agreed to give up their digital lives. Famous social networkers like Alicia Keys, Usher, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Kim Kardashian and many others wiped themselves off of the web. In one stroke, they denied millions of fans their tweets and Facebook updates.
But there was a deal involved. The fans could buy back their heroes’ digital lives. When US$1 million had been raised, the stars would return to Facebook and Twitter. All fans had to do was go to buylife.org or text a participating celebrity’s name to 90999 to make a donation and help buy a digital life back.
Not only celebrities took part. Less famous social networkers committed digital suicide too. In fact, anybody could wipe their identity from the web and challenge their friends to buy back their lives. Those who took the brave step saw their names featured on the Buy Life site alongside those of the celebs.
The reaction was overwhelming. In only a few days, all the participating celebrities had been resurrected and the US$1 million target had been overtaken. At the time of writing, fans had donated US$1,000,792 to buy back the digital lives of VIPs and their friends. Then they could scan a special bar code on the site to see a thank you note from campaign spokeswoman Alicia Keys.
But the campaign isn’t over. You can still Buy Life – or donated 100 dollars and buy a T-shirt. For more details, go to http://buylife.org. It’s dead simple.
For any comments or suggestions, send an email to Ulrich Proeschel.
Swamped by social media? Terrorized by Twitter? Fed up with Facebook? Paper.li can solve the problem. It allows users to create personalized newspapers based on the links shared on social media.
