Tattly, the latest effort from talented designer and founder of Swiss Miss graphics blog Tina Eisenberg, offers witty, low cost personal entertainment and a tempting opportunity for powersports brand and marketing managers.
The collection of expertly designed messages and icons includes “knucks,” the answered prayer for every personal injury attorney who enjoys masquerading on weekends as a Sons of Anarchy patchholder. Add fighting rings and you’re done.
The gap in spending between online search and online display is closing, and quickly, according to this June, 2011 forecast by online marketing firm eMarketer.
While search captured the early sweepstakes as the category offering the best ROI, that out-of-the-gate lead is narrowing. The prediction now is that sometime in mid-2014 the advantage will shift to display as the favored category, coupled with analysis that shows overall growth slowing from a 2011 high of 20.2% ($31.3B) to a 2015 assumption of 8.8% ($49.5B), nearly doubling today’s spending.
Technology, opportunity, metrics and platforms are all reasons for this growth. The opportunities presented by mobile coupled with the emergence of HTML5 and a host of other visual solutions likely account for the change in velocity.
I like the diversity of content and the convenience of delivery. I like the comfort of participation and the cost, often free, is almost always within my budget.
What’s not to like? On and on and on and on *required form fields. As in this signup for an Aquent sponsored American Marketing Association social media webinar.
There’s nothing wrong with capturing data. It’s expected by participants. But requiring 17 fields – 17! – to successfully register is asking too much. When you present an offer and then throw up one roadblock after another, the goal of participation becomes the reality of disappointment.
Email, first and last are about all I care to share going in. Maybe phone, but that’s about it unless Krugerrands are being discussed. But if I like the content, feel free to ask away after the experience. If it was good for me, you’ll know soon enough how much I’m willing to disclose in the interests of furthering the relationship.
I’ve kept this Adobe Key Caps cheat sheet handy since it arrived in, according to the ©, 1989 or thereabouts. Download the large version so you’ll know exactly which combinations to tap out when you need ¢, ?, •, and my favorite, ™. Diacriticals and a few ligatures included.
But can it sing? Judging by the handout highlights, it’s pretty clear we’ve moved well beyond desktop publishing. When I joined two dozen or so other invitation only attendees in Orlando April 5 for an Adobe technology sneak peek, bets at the $2 window were on a new full version Creative Suite release. Instead, a recalibrated release timetable was rolled out along with a CS5 dot-five version upgrade, company insight into areas of major focus, and a show and tell review of CS5’s major product (mainly Photoshop) improvements.
The two-hour session, held in an anteroom at the Seaworld Renaissance Orlando, was hosted by Scott Morris, Senior Director of Product Marketing, and Noha Edell, Senior Solutions Engineer, in a tag-team format of feature highlights and live how-to demos. Message of the day? An almost urgent awareness of the importance attached to serving content to mobile platforms; the role of metrics as the company extends channels (Omniture and hosted services); and a clarifying ceasefire in the Adobe-Apple Flash On-Flash Off Mobile War. Continue reading
There’s not much Tim Tebow does that I don’t like. Actually, there’s nothing he does that I don’t like, and a whole lot that I do. His new web site timtebow.com has a fresh look, his YouTube collection’s growing, and he’s keeping his head above water in the Denver altitude.
If this ad was built around anyone else, it would be a laugher. Instead, it just brings a smile to my face. Role model? It doesn’t get any better.
In yet another example of how outclassed domestic powersports marketing is, now comes this head-turner from BMW Germany in the form of what could be tagged an alternative form of neuromarketing. The spot stars factory Superbike rider Ruben Xaus onboard an S1000RR in a black and white film noire quick cut that by itself is less than remarkable. Pretty, pouty, and predictable.
The other hand is a fascinating little tidbit of technology more amusing than motivational. Using what appears to be relatively simple rear screen technology to flash project a logo, the spot, by German uber agency serviceplan, creates an afterimage on the retinas of the audience. Yeah, it’s going to get attention.
A BMW spokeswoman said, “We literally got inside people’s heads, involving them instead of boring them and generating a more intensive connection to our target group. Our brand should be innovative, emotional and dynamic.”
Hmmm. Given how twitchy German bureaucracy is about any kind of Orwellian influencers, let alone a method requiring YOU MUST OBEY! to interpret the eyeball afterglow, this may not be a long lasting campaign. But it will be memorable, make no mistake. And as for the subliminal alarmists: uh, if you have to direct behavior to experience behavior, it’s not.
When I see efforts like this, efforts that accept the challenge of creatively differentiating the brand from the same old same old, I say hell yes, go for it! Like Leo Burnett famously said, “When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.”
News out this morning from Ad Age has Harley’s media planning/buying to Publicis Groupe’s Starcom (first globally in media buying – new adds include Darden Group, Best Buy) while doing a 180 and casting their creative future with newcomer Victors & Spoils following Carmichael Lynch’s ship jumping last August after 30 years of mostly hidebound (“screw it – lets ride”, jeans over boots) treatment. At the same time, Publicis shop Digitas is greenlighted for digital, a too long neglected portal. Continue reading
Does Corvette know their customers or what? Say you’ve got a hankering for a nifty new ZR1 or Z06. The dealership’s walked you through all the paperwork, but in order to really feel fulfilled, you’d like to lend a hand on the engine assembly line.
For a nominal $5,800 fee, all things are possible, and helping build your own blown and injected engine that you’ve already paid for once is one of those life experiences that, if you have to explain, no one would understand. Visit your local Chevy dealer for details.
via adland.tv – all the ad news not fit to print
harden announces resignationIn a major head turner in the world of off-road, Scot Harden, long time former marketing director at KTM, announced his departure after a short-lived reunion with his original and current employer Husqvarna.
Harden said it, “…was certainly a tough decision,” but left plenty for others to speculate on as far as where he’ll land next by saying that, “… there is some exciting new terrain for me to explore.”
His departure signals what in all likelihood will be his last involvement with the BMW owned Italian manufacturer of originally Swedish off road rides. The Southern California rider began his career as a factory rider for Husqvarna when it was still a Swedish owned company, a position he’d hold for over a decade before moving on to other OEMs.
During his time with KTM Harden scored major successes on the world rally stage, most notably his Red Bull sponsored Dakar and Baja teams, before returning to Husqvarna in 2008.
