From a branding perspective, they’ve highlighted that the interactivity of Web 2.0 taps consumer involvement that would otherwise be missing. Managing it requires extra work from a business perspective but the gains can outweigh the costs.

Here’s their six ways to make Web 2.0 work:

1. The transformation to a bottom-up culture needs help from the top.
2. The best uses come from users – but they require help to scale.
3. What’s in the workflow is what gets used.
4. Appeal to the participants’ egos and needs – not just their wallets.
5. The right solution comes from the right participants.
6. Balance the top-down and self-management of risk.

See the full article here (registration is required but free).They’re encouraging discussion on Twitter through both their account and #web2.0work.

But Web 2.0 is quickly going to be taken over by new technologies.

We’re still adapting to conducting business differently, but Cisco is now pronouncing the introduction of 4G and Web 3.0 – check out the possibilities:

Post from: EveryJoe

Doing business better with Web 2.0

Would you like to advertise with us again?

I’ll have to think about it, cash is tight. Maybe next time.

Round 2:

You said you’d think about advertising with us – any conclusions?

I just don’t have the money right now.

Round 3:

Would you like an ad at a discount?

I can’t give anyone money! At all! Goodbye!

–

I’ve been talking to a lot of small business owners recently and they’re feeling that it’s like this – they have no money to spend and they have to battle the ad sellers coming to their door to try and win money.

It shouldn’t be like this.

Sure, money’s tight. It’s tight for everyone. But pushing people away does no good for either of you – it’s been shown that the companies who continue to advertise and have their name out in a recession are the first to recover.

Publications selling ad space will also collapse without support – if you want to advertise ‘next time’ there might not be a ‘next time’. Supporting them now, if you can, will be leverage to ask for a discount in the future.

Some are resorting to barter, which can create a win-win situation. You get an ad, they get discounts at your business as part or full payment.

Of course, it does depend on their sales staff…and how pushy they are to try and make a sale.

So here’s some ad tips…

1. If you have the money to advertise, make sure you’re being strategic. What’s your aim in advertising? Where can you best reach your customers?
2. Preserve relationships. Recession or no, cash or no…business has to involve other people.
3. In that vein, make your services the best you can without spending more – friendly service, a handwritten note with purchases…it’s all in the little touches.

Post from: EveryJoe

The Small Business v The Ad Sellers

When the Cola World gets it right…

Singapore Airlines trademarked their smell, KFC trademarked their secret herbs and spices…now this. Coca-cola had been experimenting with the sounds of their product as blipverts in the Intrinsics campaign; 5 second ads with simply their logo and the sound of a Coke being opened or someone going ‘ahh’.

Now they’re using the sounds in order for the ‘Crave’ spot above – after all, if a jingle can be associated with a product and get stuck in your head, why not the sound a product makes?

When the Cola World is a bit off…

Last week the design pitch for Pepsi’s new logo was leaked; 27 pages involving the Mona Lisa, particle theory, feng shui, emoticons, and how these have contributed to Pepsi’s design identity.

Here’s my favorite…

Image: Gawker

Not that any of the document will have much of an effect on what the consumer sees, but here’s a case where the story might just have been taken too far…

(See the doc here courtesy of FastCompany)

For this round, I think Coca-Cola wins.

Post from: EveryJoe

Cola Wars of the senses

Budapest's first pop-up story: Paul Frank

They’ve been around for a while – in concept at least. But the ‘pop-up’ store seems to be picking up popularity and ironically could be here to stay.

Some of these are travelling displays of new product and partnered artists, others are surprise sales in odd locations. What they have in common is that they’re only around for a limited time.

Brands like Puma have been using travelling pop-up stores to get buzz and introduce new features whilst only having to pay rent and staff costs for a short time. Having the store only open for a short time creates exclusivity…which British magazine Monocle has used to cement their luxury branding.

On the other hand, the pop-up store does not have a sustainable effect and has high start-up costs which might be difficult to recover. It’s a risky tactic to pursue.

I want your opinion on pop-up stores. Are they good for business or just a fad?

Post from: EveryJoe

Saturday Soapbox: pop-up stores

The big news has been filtering through interviews and blogs: Twitter, previously free, now has a strategy to make money.

Lesson 1: You can have a great product that everyone loves, but it won’t make you a living unless you’re monetizing it in some way.

The problem for them is just that; currently, all services are free.

Lesson 2: Once prices are set at a certain level, the product is depicted as having that value. It’s difficult to raise prices significantly without getting complaints.

The founders currently propose to charge for companies who are currently using Twitter.

Lesson 3: If they’re making money out of your services, they can afford to pay some of it to you…

There have been many rumours about this, but so far the only confirmation is that current services will remain free with premium services being added.

Lesson 4: Want to get more money? Give more value.

These might include a company account verification feature – important given the number of impersonations we’ve been seeing. Once a few companies start using a feature like that it will start to be an obligation for the rest.

Lesson 5: Offer services which are contagious.

However, Twitter has been vague so far about exact offerings.

If they’re smart they’ll use the buzz and multitude of suggestions from the blogging community to gather ideas on what would be accepted and what wouldn’t.

Lesson 5: Listen.

Story source: IT World

Post from: EveryJoe

Twitter monetization: 5 lessons in pricing and product

Post from: EveryJoe

For break-ups, use Adidas Safety

At least you can get some materialistic love from YSL…

The luxury label will be releasing its fourth manifesto; a series of photo shoots and videos to express the spirit of the brand.

Early birds to stores in Paris, London, Milan, Tokyo, Hong Kong and New York might be one of 2,000 to snag a free limited edition tote and USB full of multimedia from the new manifesto.

It’s an interesting move for a luxury brand…

The manifesto concept is a great way of expressing the brand’s identity and what it wants to stand for.

Giving the images away to diehard fans will probably ensure that they are spread online directly to their targets.

Viktor & Rolf achieved something similar with their ’secret’ online fashion show, limited to those who had signed up to be a member of their official site.

In luxury, it’s all about being one of the blessed few.

Is 12,000 too many to be the few?

Source: NYLON

Post from: EveryJoe

YSL: A very exclusive lover

That’s what your customers might say to you…if you’re not listening to them.

And according to a recent report by the Chief Marketing Officer Council that’s what as many as two thirds of companies are doing.

In a survey of 480 CMOs, most acknowledged that the customer experience is a key part of brand-building, but only 38% said their company had formal programs to actively get feedback from customers about their experiences. Out of those, less than half were leveraging feedback to find out who they should be talking to in the future.

Without communication, there’s no relationship.

Without a relationship of some sort, you’re not a great brand, you’re just someone delivering a product or service that happens to sell. If you’re not figuring out what is wanted in the market – and not delivering on it – then your customers will go to someone who is.

Maybe small business has a better time of it.

If you’re in an SME, get an advantage by doing what big business isn’t. Listen. Talk to people.

It’s helped businesses like Coffee Groundz get a better idea of what their customers want and double their business in the process.

Would this have worked for Starbucks? Less likely.

Should Starbucks be finding out what their customers are saying now? With mass closures and rumours of trouble, definitely. The old formula isn’t working as well anymore.

It sounds simple, and it is.

Listen.

And read the full CMO council report:

Post from: EveryJoe

CMO Council study: “You’re just not listening to me”

But wait.

This sounds a little familiar:

It’s the ‘new’ song called ‘Open Happiness’, a collaboration by artists from Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco and Gnarls Barkley, amongst others.

The song is a big part of the new Coke tagline and campaigns – which ironically feature much less of the song, opting for some retro and anime influences:

Well, it sounds the same and the creatives are the same (Wieden + Kennedy, one of my favourites), so what’s the big change?

According to Coke reps, the ‘Coke side of life’ message wasn’t translating across cultures, leaving less mature advertising markets confused. The new ‘Open happiness’ message is meant to be simpler and go back to principles we all understand.

We’ll see if it’s enough to get past rival Pepsi’s buzz from SuperBowl advertising.

What do you think?

Is the new message easier to understand?

Does it come across well in the new ads?

Source: AdAge

Post from: EveryJoe

Coke 2.0: Open happiness

The latest green branding to catch Brandcurve’s eye is not a product or a service…it’s an awards show.

The One Show gives out awards for the best advertising across a variety of industries and media. (And yes, the controversial ‘Whopper Sacrifice’ campaign by Crispin Porter is an entrant.)

However, this year there’s a new award…the Green Pencil.

It’s apparently meant to do something like this…

How?

Well, to be honest it’s a bit vague. The award is meant to go to the best environmental advertising – not sure whether this is the best ads for an environmental cause or the most environmentally-friendly campaign.

In other ‘green’ efforts, One Show has stated that paper entries will be recycled, and packing reduced where possible. They also mention something about a carbon footprint, but this is also vague.

All in all, it’s a step which is well-intended, even if it’s not entirely clear.

Either way, online registrations for the competition will be open until February 6, and we’ll be looking out for the winners!

Post from: EveryJoe

One Show goes green?