Hegarty inspires Cannes with 'difference'

The legendary John Hegarty enthralled Festival goers this afternoon with his simple, but inspired presentation on ‘growth needs space’. The BBH creative leader said that brands that want exponential growth need space, and to get over their inertia and obsession with doing the same as everyone else so as to “embrace difference”.

He proved the point with examples past and present – Levis Flat Eric, the hilariously naughty Axe Clean your Balls and the more recent Yeo Valley Rapping Farmers film for the dairy brand’s organic range (I love the dancing owl). The screening of BBH’s current Gold Lion-winning Google Chrome film It gets better practically received a standing ovation from the packed Debussy auditorium.

BBH’s philosophy that ‘when the world zigs, zag’ should inspire any budding creative in any communications discipline to break with convention and do something different.

Cannes apps -- sex, booze and advertising news

For years there are none, then suddenly they are like London buses… Cannes apps. Some produced on a stroke of genius, others because some crafty capitalist publishers feel they can make a Euro or two off you.

Gutter Barometer
“You didn’t miss it but it’s back anyway” The Gutter Barometer first reared its drunken head last year. Updated from 2010 with added Carlton Terrace as well as the Cannt bar in London, the original was inspired by the legendary 72 Croisette watering hole.

The app tracks your GPS location and you creep up the Gutter Barometer by spending the most time at either the Gutterbar, on the Carlton Terrace or in London at the Cannt Bar. Just download the app and sign in with Twitter. Done. This pointless marvel is the brainchild of Creative Social and Dare.

Gutter Barometer


Take Me I'm Yours
Getting right down to the heart of the matter – helping friends get laid – is a spanking new tool developed for the Cannes' lonely: Take Me I'm Yours.

TMIY - the app that says what you really mean. It’s in its infancy so the more people to use this, the more people will get laid.

Take Me I'm Yours


Instacannes
You work it out – I know it’s cool but I dunno what to do with it. It's an evolving snapshot of the Festival with continually updated Instagram images of the goings on at this week's extravaganza. Enjoy the fun from afar. Another Creative Social production with thanks to the efforts of developer Syd Lawrence.

Instacannes


Campaign app
You’d have thought the UK industry ad bible would have done this years ago, but better late than never, the free mobile app supports its presence at the Festival and promises to be the hub for all future Campaign content. For the festival the app serves as an interactive, real-time pocket guide to all the usual (and unusual) goings on. Built by Propeller Mobile.

Campaign Cannes


Official Cannes
This is the official app for the 58th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Keep all the information you need about the Festival in your pocket: the latest news, photos and videos live from the event, a full city guide and an interactive Festival programme - what is happening when and where; Speakers: read about who is speaking at the 57 seminars, 20 workshops and 10 master classes; handy Cannes city guide: find out where are people staying, where can you take your clients out to eat and what the coolest bars are. Check locations from our maps and call to make reservations straight from your phone; and of course news: daily updated stories about what’s going on at Cannes Lions, including scoops on shortlists and winners. Powered by PHD and Pontomobi.

Official Cannes app


Feed the Lions
Not an app but worth a mention is “Feed the Lions” – an online platform where feeds and social media content regarding the Cannes Lions 2011 festival are collected and shared in a single overview. Made by Tribal DDB Amsterdam.

Feed the Lions

Google’s Eric Schmidt is the Twitter Man of the Hour

Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, honoured as the 2011 Media Person of the Year, was the most central figure on Day 4. His Try to Say Yes philosophy and Google’s new invention, the self driving car, were among Twitter users’ favourite topics.

Author and innovator Edward de Bono, another prolific panel participant, also received a lot of Twitter visibility with statements such as “Our biggest problem is NOT climate change. It is poor thinking.”

Twitter users also gravitated to topics such as Facebook’s strategy to make advertising social, as well as Leo Burnett’s notion of populism being “the new effectiveness.” The Scramble for the Online Advertising Industry Begins

On day 4, the Cannes Lions coverage in the blogosphere, online and print media encompassed high-profile announcements rather than news about competition winners.
Among the eye grabbing announcements was Facebook’s new ad unit, created by Leo Burnett, that would alter the way brands and people interact.

In an attempt to rival Facebook, Google announced they will buy more companies to boost their presence in the growing online display ad sector. Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman at Google, gained prominence by discussing not only Google’s strategy but also several industry predictions such as the near future of commercial mobile wallet systems.

Coverage of competition winners while minor still captured attention – particularly Cheil Worldwide’s entry 'Homeplus Subway Virtual Store' for Tesco and Digital Kitchen’s campaign for the new Cosmopolitan Hotel launch in Las Vegas.

Facebook Offers Advertisers Word of Mouth On Steroids

Facebook Global Marketing Solutions VP Carolyn Everson took the stage in the Debussy Theater at Cannes for the last session Wednesday where she shared with delegates some of Facebook's advertising initiatives for marketers. Topping the list was Sponsored Stories, a new product which leverages the power of word of mouth by placing a Liked page in the right hand column of friend's pages.

In terms of the power of word of mouth, Everson noted research that showed 75% of new parents would rather get recommendations from friends on Facebook than anywhere else and 74% who make purchase are influenced by friends. And 68% are more likely to recommend a product if the ad is on a friend's page. Hence leveraging these recommendations are what power Facebook Sponsored Stories.

It's all part of Everson's effort to get marketers to think of Facebook as not just a place to place display ads but a full blown word of mouth platform that can spark conversation.

Many case studies were shared but the gist of the presentation centered on making delegates aware of Facebook's strength as a marketing platform akin to word of mouth on steroids.

Everson also touted Facebook Studio, a community where marketers can learn, view other's work, share their own work, avail themselves of the many resources Facebook has to provide marketers to make advertising on the site easier and to get new ideas.

She closed by announcing the formation of the Client Council, a group tasked with helping marketers and agencies work better together towards creating programs that avail themselves of the many social advertising opportunities Facebook has to offer. McCann Worldgroup Chairman and CEO Nick Brien and Coke Integrated Marketing and Communications & Capabilites SVP Wendy Clark are the group's first two members.

With thanks to Adrants

Eric Schmidt Talks Revolution + Consumer-Driven Innovation

Yesterday afternoon at the Lions, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt sat with VP-Google Creative Lab Andy Berndt to discuss innovation, imagination and the internet.

Schmidt kicked off the discussion by pointing out the internet is a special kind of business because it is highly Moore's Law-driven: "If you take a country that's got 40% internet penetration, and you see it in the next five years, broadband penetration will be up to 80%." Your business just doubled and you didn't have to do anything -- this doesn't happen in any other industry.

The idea that your business can be expanded as a function of users broadening your market, as opposed to you taking steps to expand in the traditional sense, is something we are still grappling with.

"The implications for this consumer-driven phenomena are not well-understood," Schmidt said, pointing out that the Middle East's current ongoing social media-driven struggles for democracy are a good example of the unexpected fruit such phenomena yields. This is just the beginning of users' muscle-flexing.

With thanks to Adrants

TV heavyweights baffled by Twitter and Facebook

Piers Morgan hears that Aaron Sorkin hates Facebook, David Simon loathes Twitter and Eric Schmidt loves Super Bowl ads

Piers Morgan at Cannes Lions said a tweet about his CNN show with Charlie Sheen gained a ratings boost.

Aaron Sorkin, the writer of The West Wing and The Social Network, is not a fan of Facebook. David Simon, the writer of The Wire, doesn't like Twitter. And Google, the online search advertising giant, loves Super Bowl TV ads.

The pair were meant to be discussing the topic of the "golden age of television" but it was their responses to a much broader chat about media – elicited by interviewer Piers Morgan – that proved far more interesting.

(Sorkin's favourite TV show: The Office, Simon's: Game of Thrones).

It was Morgan who alerted the audience to the bizarre fact that the pair, two of the most pre-eminent screen writers in the US, had never met before walking on stage at the Cannes Lions.

"They've been chatting away [backstage] about mutual projects they could work on," said Morgan. "Imagine. Wouldn't that be great."

Sorkin said that he only created a Facebook profile "to find out what it was all about" as he was writing the screenplay for the Academy award-winning film The Social Network.

Describing himself as "just this side of luddite", added he had "barely heard of Facebook, I'd heard of it in the way I've heard of a carburettor".

He said he came off Facebook (which he compared to the computer Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey in the difficulty he had in actually "killing" his profile) "because of a couple of stalker-like people".

While Sorkin admitted to being "impressed" with Twitter, Simon chimed in to voice his concern about what new technology has done to the "high end of journalism".

"I worry about where we are headed," he said. "You can find out everything faster reading a headline, I worry."

His concern is that the race to cover news meant consumers were not getting the full picture.

"You cannot in a Twitter feed or in 24-hour news coverage explain the complexity [of some issues]," he said. "Drugs ... that's an essay, a four-part series ... I'm worried about high-end journalism."

Jeff Bewkes, the chairman of CNN-to-Marie Claire owner Time Warner, echoed the rising issue of the information scramble the internet has created.

"It is a real problem at CNN ... even in magazines," he said. "You've got to run things quickly in order not to be stale news."

However, Morgan – an avid Twitter user who has 885,000 followers since signing up ahead of the launch of his CNN chatshow in January – stuck up for social media, providing an example of the growing power of technology by highlighting the impact of a tweet on the viewing figures of his interview with Charlie Sheen.

He said that CNN had analysed the viewing figures immediately after he sent the tweet and reckon that 500,000 extra people tuned in because they had seen it.

"One tweet which cost me nothing," he said. "It was a fascinating example of the power of a social network to influence television."

Simon also argued the rise of high-end shows such as The West Wing and The Wire was "raising the bar" in the creativity of ad campaigns.

On the topic of new ground in TV advertising, Google chairman Eric Schmidt, speaking at the following session, told how he thought "hell had frozen over" when he was told of a plan for the search giant to run a TV ad in the Super Bowl.

"In the decade I've been at the company I'd never seen the value of that [TV ads]," he said, causing the Cannes audience of ad industry types to squirm in their seats. "I thought someone had a screw loose."

He was, however, happy to be proven wrong – "the board loved it" and Google ran the 60-second spot for Chrome in a prime slot during the Super Bowl, probably costing more than $5m (£3m).

"Was it a good business investment? We looked at incremental search traffic ... and it paid for itself," Schmidt said. "At the end of the day we took a Super Bowl ad and turned it into an ROI phenomenon."

Schmidt went on to talk of what he called the "Fab 5" – Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and possibly either Twitter or Netflix – as digital and technology "platform" businesses that other companies can use to build their businesses on. Farmville-maker Zynga for example has become massive by ponying up with Facebook, he said.

"The source of real wealth for shareholders is not just one of these consumer companies but a platform to build on," he added. "In our industry there has never been four companies [Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon] of that scale growing at those rates."

While media and the business community has marvelled at the explosive growth of these companies he warned more is to come: "New ones will emerge [growing] even faster than the ones I named," Schmidt said. "Don't be surprised."

With thanks to the Guardian's Organ Grinder

Mixing it up with SoDA and Creative Social

Wednesday at Cannes got off to a bright start with news that one of our clients, Perfect Fools, had as of Wednesday evening bagged no fewer than five Lions at this year’s Cannes Festival, including two silvers (in Promo and Design) and a bronze (Cyber) for the Converse Canvas Experiment, as well as silver and bronze for Skittles Updater, produced by PF for TBWA London.

That morning I met up with IQ CEO Tony Quinn for a briefing on SoDA, the Society of Digital Agencies, which was hosting its Cannes 'unConference' that afternoon. unConference is a conversational-style of conference where Tony would encourage the audience to lead the debate about a range of digital agency-related issues and concerns.

Prior to unConference was the Creative Social lunch at l'ecrin. The Socials include digital creatives from all over the globe who essentially meet informally several times a year in different cities to simply meet and mull over the business as it is today and share inspiration.

Down at the unConference and mixer where Tony moderated some inspired debate on the subjects facing top digitals - topics ranging from driving the standards of creative excellence to promoting innovation amidst an increasing sea of patent trolls.

SoDA encourages us to download its newly released White Paper entitled "Patent Infringement Risk - A Rising Challenge for Digital Agencies" which expands on one of the conversation topics at unConference.

The day rounded off with a stop by Havas’ Social Cafe and play with it’s Minority-Report-esque social influence tool that tracks who, what and where the Cannes conversations are – freaky. Time for a beer before the Massive Music party....

Dolphin delivers as Lions burn

Having stumbled from a Greek wedding the day of my arrival at Cannes Lions 2011, following an epic 13.5 hour journey involving buses, Dolphins, taxis, aeroplanes and more taxis taking in towns and cities including Skiathos, Athens, Zurich and Nice, it was with relief I arrived in one piece at Cannes for the annual Festival Pu Pub.

Taking in the atmosphere surrounding the Palais on my way to the Old Town to meet clients for an evening drink, there was a major commotion with hoardes of people rushing to the harbour side to witness a yacht fire.

Nothing stokes the senses like the smell of burning luxury, but the drama was enhanced as the burning boats was surrounded by yachts full of worried sailors trying to manourvre their million Euro vessels away from the sinking ship. Thankfully the fast action of pompiers soon put the flames out to cheers from the crowd.

The red-faced yacht owners were further embarrassed as within minutes the news was all over Twitter, Facebook and YouTube – remember folks, boats, booze and BBQs don’t mix.

Surprise, Facebook Is In Trouble Again

With thanks to Erik Sass at Media Post

Like Groundhog Day and taxes, it's becoming an annual (if not semi-annual) ritual: Facebook quietly introduces a new product or service with sweeping implications for customer privacy; people finally notice; controversy ensues; everyone forgets it ever happened.

The most recent controversy is taking place in Europe, and it concerns Facebook's use of facial recognition technology to help categorize and organize member photos. The new feature, which went live in the U.S. in December, was quietly activated for overseas users earlier this month, and it has generated a predictable backlash.

In an interview with The Register, British security expert Graham Cluely clued Facebook in: "Many people feel distinctly uncomfortable about a site like Facebook learning what they look like, and using that information without their permission."

Cluely also drew Facebook's attention, for what must be the millionth time, to the fact that its security settings are kind of obscure: "Most Facebook users still don't know how to set their privacy options safely, finding the whole system confusing. It's even harder though to keep control when Facebook changes the settings without your knowledge." He concluded: "The onus should not be on Facebook users having to 'opt-out' of the facial recognition feature, but instead on users having to ‘opt-in'."

Amen! Of course, the unfortunate fact is that Facebook counts on its users' ignorance and apathy (and probably leaves its security settings a bit byzantine) in order to get traction for its new services. But even if the company isn't really concerned about user privacy, there are better ways to go about introducing new capabilities like the facial recognition and tagging feature.

Facebook could dispel some of the criticism with a more transparent approach -- and without necessarily having to make the new service opt-in. For example, how about simply sending a clearly labeled message to all users advising them of the new feature and including a link to opt out?

Aimed at copywriters, but good advice for all disciplines...

40 Questions You Need to Ask Every Copywriting Client


You’ve connected with a prospective client and you’re at your first meeting!
It’s an exciting time in the life of any freelance marketer or copywriter.
Unfortunately, this is also the moment when the seeds of disaster are often sown.
Instead of having a detailed discussion about the project at this initial meet, hungry copywriters often slump into desperation mode. At the first mention of a payment of any size at all, you’re sticking out your sweaty hand ready to shake on any deal you can get.

Remorse sets in later, when you figure out the project requires ten times the workload you imagined.

If you accepted a flat project fee — always preferable to naming an hourly rate — you realize you’re earning less on an hourly basis than you’d get working the counter at McDonald’s.

Avoid this unpleasant scenario by learning all you can before you agree to take a project. There is a lot to know to really nail down what a copywriting assignment will entail.

Here is a list of 40 questions to ask a prospective copywriting client:

1. Can you please define your project? You might imagine a company that’s called in a copywriter has an idea what they want. Much of the time, you would be wrong. They’re hoping you can help them figure out whether their best new piece of content would be a white paper, a revised landing page, or eight blog posts a month. If they can’t figure it out even with your help, try to find a small initial project they’re willing to greenlight to get things moving.

2. When will you be ready to get started? If the answer is “next fall,” you know this is just a meet-and-greet. This client isn’t ready to assign anything, so politely wrap it up as fast as you can and ask if you can stay in touch.

3. When do you need this project completed? Between question two and this one, you learn the timeframe — how long you’ll have to do the work from start to finish. This is one of the most important metrics I use in setting my bid. If the timeframe is short, remember rush work should always pay a premium rate.

4. Is there a hard deadline by which materials must be delivered? For instance, if what you’re writing is to be handed out at an upcoming trade show, there won’t be any wiggle room.

5. Have you worked with freelance copywriters before? Pray the answer is yes. Training a client who’s new to the whole process will be time-consuming.

6. What is your budget for this project? Try to get the client to name a figure, or at least a range. Getting them to speak first on price will help you avoid radically over- or underbidding. If they won’t bite, mention a broad range and say, “I’ll be able to deliver a more precise project quote once I know more about your needs.”

7. Who will be my editor? This is the person you’ll spend the most time interacting with, so try to meet them and get a sense of whether you’re compatible.
8. How many people at your company will be involved in this project? Many executives or departments on board can mean an ugly scenario in which your work is reviewed by multiple managers or department teams. This is usually the enemy of good copy, and can make consensus on a final version hard to achieve.

9. If multiple executives or teams are involved, who has final approval? Push to define where the buck stops. Otherwise, it may stop with no one, or you may find yourself enmeshed in a power struggle may between several executives who each think the project is theirs.

10. Will I be interviewing people outside the company? If so, find out whether the company will provide contacts or you’ll be expected to dig them up yourself.
11. Who will come up with the topic(s)? A corporate blogging project where you need to generate a dozen ideas a month takes far longer, and should cost more, than one where you’ll be handed a monthly topic list.

12. May I see your existing marketing materials? One of the best ways to cut the time you spend on a copywriting project is to read existing materials to learn what their marketing team likes.

13. Oh — you hate your current marketing materials? If current materials are loathed, it’s even more important to get a look at it. Ask managers what’s not working for them, so you can avoid putting more of the same in your copy. Also, identifying crappy existing copy opens the door to negotiating additional project work.

14. Will what I’m going to write be used with your existing materials? If your brochure is going to have one of their existing fliers tucked inside, you’ll want to know that from the start.

15. Who, specifically, is the target audience for what I will write? If the company doesn’t know, beware.

16. How much can you tell me about this audience? Extract every detail you can, down to what brand of coffee their customers drink. The more developed your picture of customers, the easier it will be to ‘talk’ to them in your copy.

17. What are the most important problems facing this audience? If the company is fuzzy on this point, talk to sales staff about what they hear from customers, or arrange to spend a day going out on sales calls.

18. Have you done any market research on your customers? If there’s a study sitting around, get it in your hands.

19. How, specifically, does your product or service help solve their problems? The answer to this question may deliver an instant outline of the points you need to cover.

20. Can you provide me with five descriptive words that define the values you’d like me to convey about your company? This little exercise is invaluable to get prospects to crystallize their corporate values so you can clearly communicate them in the copy.

21. Who are your major competitors, and how is your company different? This is your chance to learn that essential element your copy will need to highlight — the client’s unique selling proposition.

22. How will this material be distributed? Online content has a distinctly different format than print, so find out if links need coding.

23. Are you looking for a graphic designer on this project? If so, stand out by offering to tap your rolodex, and possibly also score a project-management fee.
24. Do you have any multimedia needs for this project? In today’s interactive age, you may need to integrate QR codes, video, slideshows or other interactivity into what you write. Understand all the moving parts up front. If you have experience with these tools, you should think about raising your fees.

25. May I show you some of my writing samples? Bring a portfolio or tap your website as a way to stand out in the client’s mind compared with other writers.

26. What is your preferred method of communication? If the answer is IM or Skype, be wary. Customers with a fondness for IM may want to message you instantly — around the clock.

27. What is your expectation of my availability? This is another way of teasing out whether 24/7 communication is expected. If you cherish your weekends off, make that clear and set your boundaries now.

28. Are you looking to lock down my time exclusively? Some clients want you to drop everything and work only for them until their project is completed. You may or may not be able to clear those decks. This question can also bring up whether the client might put you on an ongoing retainer if they like this first project.

29. If my piece will be published online, may I get a credit that’s a live link to my writer site? This is especially relevant if you’re blogging or writing articles for a company. Those bylines can be a great source of new referrals, so it’s worth asking.
30. Does this project require a nondisclosure agreement? Get clarity about what’s top secret, so you don’t screw up and blab something confidential.

31. Will I be allowed to use this piece as a sample in my portfolio? If you’re ghostwriting for team members and the company wants that fact kept confidential, it costs you a sample — so the assignment should pay a premium.
32. Are there any restrictions on who else I can work for in your industry? Especially beware of any noncompete clauses that extend beyond the term of your project.

33. What is your payment method? PayPal is increasingly common — but that service charges a fee that can be nearly 3 percent. If a company can pay through PayPal, in my view, they can pay via direct bank transfer at no cost to me.

34. How soon can you get me a 50% up-front payment to get started? Maybe you could accept 30 percent if you really love the project, but don’t start work without an up-front payment.

35. Let’s review the payment terms for the rest of my fee. Don’t leave this one vague, or the client may pay you six months after you finish work … or never. Right here is where a lot of cash-flow headaches are born. Ask for net 30 days from when work is turned in, or better yet, net 15.

36. My fee usually includes two rounds of rewrites. Does that work for you? I know many copywriters who stick to this rule, and any additional desired edits are extra. I personally take an “I work until you’re thrilled” approach. But it’s worth considering how to structure your contract, especially if you’re smelling a “gang edit” scenario.

37. Let’s determine the time limit for this project. Sometimes, a first draft gets turned in and then you never hear from the client again. In this scenario, your final payment will never trigger unless you’ve built a cutoff date into your contract, at which point all work is considered finished and your check is due.

38. When do you need my bid? If the project is complex or some questions remain unanswered at the end of the first meet, put off bidding until later. Go home and think it through, wait for the rest of the facts to trickle in, and then give your quote.

39. Are you meeting with multiple writers? This company might be thrilled to find you and ready to hire — or they might be emailing a list of the first 50 writers they saw on a Google search. If it’s a cattle call, you may want to put less energy into trying to land the business.

40. If you’re considering turning me down based on price, could you let me know so I can consider rebidding? If you’re worried about whether you’ve bid too high and you really want this client, this question could keep you in the running.

What are the questions you consider crucial for your clients? Do you have a varying version of one of mine? Leave them in the comments below and let’s talk!

Reproduced without permission and a blatant copyright infringement, probably.

Please don't sue me, Carol Tice, the author... Carol shares tips to help writers earn more at her Make a Living Writing blog, and was recently named one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers.

Grab her free report, 40 Ways to Market Your Writing.

One day we may hire her... and we'll make sure we have all the answers

marketing that isn't marketing

Reproduced from Fast Company... a cool article about utilising Twitter

“It’s marketing that isn’t marketing,” said John Bernier [1], the social media maven at Best Buy [2] whose dev team brought the stunningly effective Twelpforce [3] to market in July of 2009. Since then Twelpforce has responded to near 28,000 customer inquiries via Twitter, enlisted 2600 employees to share their knowledge, and paid for itself many times over via extensive PR coverage, enhanced brand perceptions, and potential savings to the call center.

Setting a new standard for Marketing as Service [4], Twelpforce is worth studying, both for its lightning quick development process and for the surprise benefits of this highly innovative program. While this article is based on two extensive interviews with Mr. Bernier, one at the New York 140 Characters [5] Conference and the other by phone last week, he is quick to note that this was “clearly a team effort” that went well beyond the marketing department. In fact, it is the cross-disciplined nature of this effort that makes the following 7 insights all the more instructive.

1. Recognize the Need

Most marketers know to look for an unmet needs but few find them, especially in the chaos that was Twitter in 2008. “We saw widespread use of Twitter among employees,” noted Bernier, “and our customers were talking about us on Twitter.” Putting two and two together, the Best Buy development project team created spy.appspot.com [6]to monitor the conversation online and to formulate an engagement plan. This was a critical first step on the road to meeting “a need in a time and place when customers were asking for it,” as Mr. Bernier so aptly put it.

2. Follow the Leader

At about this time, Barry Judge [7], CMO of BestBuy was emerging as a major voice on Twitter. “Our leadership started to get very visible with customers, and that set the tone for the rest of the department,” noted Bernier. “Barry was the catalyst, giving us the green light to go experiment, so we had the luxury of leadership buy-in,” Bernier gratefully added. All that said, Barry Judge alone couldn’t answer all the customer questions himself, and it quickly became clear that they needed to find a way to tap into the tech expertise across the organization.

3. Build it Fast

Around April 2009, Bernier’s team was told that Twelpforce was a go and would even be featured in a TV spot in July. They essentially had two months to build a system that could monitor customer inquiries on Twitter and allow multiple employees to respond from one account. The risks were huge and “not a day went by that I didn’t think this might not work,” sighed Bernier. Nonetheless, using open source software and “the cloud,” they were ready for a “soft launch” in June by which time 600 eager employees had already volunteered to test the system.

4. Unleash your Employees

Unlike traditional customer support services, employee access to Twelpforce was not restricted to a select group of highly trained agents. In fact, the genius of Twelpforce is that it tapped into an existing talent pool that welcomed the chance to share their knowledge in their spare time! “A geek squad guy might have a break between sessions or it could be a ‘Blue Shirt’ in-store at a slow moment, either way,” noted Bernier, “this talent was ready, willing and able to help out. Because the system was designed to tie each response to an individual employee, each Twelpforce rep could feel a personal sense of pride in their participation.”

5. Expect the Unexpected

After the initial 600 Twelpforce testers, an additional 2000 signed on, and while not all are active, those that are have found some extraordinary side benefits. First, it helped create a new internal network, “broadening their relationship with other employees who shared a common interest,” beamed Bernier. Second, it served as on-going training program as Twelpforce reps researched questions and read the range of answers. Because it became clear that some questions couldn’t be answered in 140 characters, the development project team also went to work on a tool that enabled longer, more sophisticated answers.

6. Support the Big Picture

Though it could have been a big risk to feature Twelpforce before its merits were established, BestBuy took the chance with good reason. Seeking the well wishes of early adopters and tech influencers, you can’t simply talk the talk. You have to walk the walk, demonstrating your passion for technology and leading edge know-how by applying innovations like Twitter, innovations favored by the technorati. Being able to translate this passion into better, faster service as BestBuy did with Twelpforce is an even bigger coup since this is clearly a weak spot for discount-driven competitors like Wal-Mart, who are far less in tune with the latest innovations.

7. Reap the Rewards

While on the surface, Twelpforce could be perceived as a short-term marketing ploy, it is in truth more like a vein of gold that has just barely been tapped. Twelpforce offers “real time pulse measurement” noted Bernier, “so we could use the feed to adjust banner ad copy”, to reflect trending topics like iPad accessories, new game releases or localized out-of-stocks. In order to help Best Buy “Examine the past to predict the future,” Bernier and the dev team are currently creating an even more robust monitoring system, once again in a highly transparent manner and which you can see in its infancy at bbyfeed.com [8]. As Bernier puts it, “The evolution of Twelpforce involves the story of data.”

Final note: Customer satisfaction among users of Twelpforce is actually higher than c-sat ratings of Best Buy among the general population. These higher ratings translate into increased purchase intent as well as the likelihood to spend more per purchase. Not bad for a program that was built in two months under the premise that “If we were going to fail, we wanted to fail fast.”

Links:
[1] http://twitter.com/bernierjohn
[2] http://www.bestbuy.com
[3] http://www.twitter.com/twelpforce
[4] http://thedrewblog.com
[5] http://140conf.com/
[6] http://spy.appspot.com
[7] http://twitter.com/bestbuycmo
[8] http://bbyfeed.com

New York Times outs major US retailer for link spam

A very interesting story broke this weekend involving JC Penney (a big US retailer with 1000+ stores and $17.8 billion in revenue) and the New York Times. The retailer was basically outed for apparently using TNX to set up thousands of links on very low quality “spam” sites.

It seems that the campaign worked so well the site was ranking for pretty much everything, until the NY Times outed it and the site was moved down to 60th or worse for all the queries after Matt Cutts got involved. Search Engine Land and TechCrunch also covered the story very well.

J C Penney immediately sacked their SEO agency SearchDex who had been managing the campaign since 2004. It does seems strange to me that an agency who had worked with a client for so long would suddenly start building a load of spam links, unless serious pressure to improve results had been applied from the client. The links had been in place for around the “last three to four months” according to Google.

The fact that Google didn’t catch this sort of spam is a big PR nightmare for them. They should be buying links from all the major link sellers every day and removing the ability for the link sellers to pass PageRank every time they find a new one. Missing something like TNX is a major error.

Another worrying point is a major newspaper deciding to start outing link spam and forcing Google to take action.

Nobody wants to use spam links but if everybody else is doing it and not getting caught then people start to think it’s OK. Google has been telling retailers not to use link spam for years but the longer people can see blatant spam working the harder it will be for people to resist trying it out.

Alain De Botton hosts #bibhappy @flamingolondon

Alain de Botton


Flamingo London is holding its next Big Ideas Breakfast at Kettners on 10th February.
The guest speaker is Alain De Botton, writer and founder of The School of Life and Living Architecture.

He will take the audience on a tour through the philosophy and psychology of architecture and change the way we think about our homes, streets and ourselves.

His theory is that the places and experiences a brand creates, rather than its image, make connections with today’s consumers.

It’s never more important to consider the spaces in which a brand lives and understand the relationships those spaces help build.

The second speaker is Alfie Spencer, Head of Semiotics at Flamingo who will take the discussion further to examine how Alain’s theory can be applied to brands in real life.

The event is now fully booked but non-guests will be able to tweet questions and follow the event via @FlamingoLondon and #bibhappy.

Also check out the write up from the day which will be available at Flamingo News

Wine via your USB port - C'est Incredible!!!!

Wow! This gadget is amazing -- a USB tap that pours wine straight from your laptop via a USB port. Genius!



Read more -- and buy -- about this revolutionary accessory at USB Wine

MINI unveils world's first slow motion film

On 14th January Renegade kicked off a global seeding campaign for MINI's first slow motion 3D film. A technical 3D world first, the 90-second spot sees the MINI family do battle with a five-tonne monster truck, which is designed to leave 3D-hungry audiences on the edge of their Cinema seats.

Set at night in the floodlit Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, a sell-out crowd of eclectic and rowdy monster truck fans are silenced when the 1,800-horsepower truck – nicknamed No Mercy – takes to the air in an attempt to jump over a fleet of MINIs.

In sensational 3D slow motion the crowd takes to its feet as their jaws, hotdogs and beverages spill to the floor and the 66-inch tyres skim tantalisingly close to the roofs of the four-strong line-up of: MINI Cooper Convertible, MINI Cooper Clubman, MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper S Countryman.




As No Mercy hurtles through the air and the crowd cheer, it’s not clear whether the flame-emblazoned four-wheel cannonball will complete its trajectory. The action slows down in painstaking frame-by-frame 3D detail the second the truck takes off, leaving the crowd looking-on in horror or joyous anticipation as the day-glo orange and blue rocket makes its leap of faith amid an explosive barrage of pyrotechnics and a rock opera soundtrack.

Slow motion close-ups of the driver and crowds’ faces add to the suspense and drama, leaving viewers wondering whether the MINIs are crushed or the truck completes the jump.

Responsible for the nail-biting epic was Robert Jitzmark, the acclaimed Swedish director, who employed a crew of 120 people, including one stunt driver, six 3D technologists and scientists who were on hand to calculate the truck’s chances, and film with a 21st century 3D rig. The set required 30,000 cubic yards of sand to be imported and the entire shoot from preparation to jump took six days to complete. A mix of stadium lights and special helium-filled balloon lights helped enrich the 3D quality.



Veteran stunt man Russell Steeley was behind the wheel, a monster truck driver who nearly ended his career as soon as it started. The first time Steely jumped he thought he broke his back: "I landed so hard, it knocked the wind out of me," he said. "I sat after that to let my back heal." Some drivers might reconsider their dedication to monster trucks. But Steeley spent six months recuperating and then got back in the truck.

MINI’s Amsterdam-based advertising agency, BSUR, is the creative engine behind the film. Executive creative director, Jason Schragger was at the jump and explained the inspiration behind the story. “MINI is a pioneer of automotive design and driver experience. Digital 3D is so new that we worked with its pioneers to ensure MINI vs Monster is an exciting and immersive experience. What we have filmed is a game changer – 3D is the future of screen entertainment and the future of advertising.

“This new 3D technology makes you really feel like you are in the crowd and are part of the jump. When you see No Mercy actually flying, you experience every detail, it’s better than being in the stands and you can’t help but gasp when the truck lifts off and skims the MINI family, which look eye-poppingly stunning in 3D. 3D is immersive and puts viewers at the heart of the action.”

While TV technology can’t yet deliver the same 3D experience, a high definition, 2D version of the film has been rolled out globally on- and offline.

In less than two weeks Renegade'seeding campaign has generated nearly 100,000 YouTube views. The three teasers and trailers that we seeded a week before the launch have each surpassed 20,000 views each -- another world first for MINI.

Shock... OMG! Wolves beat Chelsea... Aha!

Can I contain myself? can i stop myself busting like a water pipe in sub zero temperatures NOOOOOOOOO. Wolves lifted themselves off the bottom of the Premier League thanks to an Own Goal and a hard fought sterling defence.

Carlo Ancelotti claimed he was "lucky" to still be in a job before this game but good fortune only lasts so long. The Chelsea manager will do well to hold on to his position after his side suffered a defeat that exposed the brittle confidence within their ranks and the alarming depths to which the Champions have fallen.

Ancelotti had stated beforehand that Chelsea "will win" but there was no sign of that belief in his players on a sobering night for hungry Wolves. The Italian had barely had time to get acquainted with the touchline area where he spent most of the evening looking a lonely and dejected figure when José Bosingwa put through his own net. Chelsea had 85 minutes to turn the game around but there was to be no reprieve for Ancelotti or his beleaguered players.

To put Chelsea's slump into context, Wolves came into this game bottom of the table but with a better record over the last six games than the champions. Ancelotti came in search of a remedy but within five minutes he was wearing that familiar pained expression.

Having seen Petr Cech make a splendid save to turn Ronald Zubar's speculative 35-yard shot behind, the Chelsea manager looked on in disbelief as his side conceded in shambolic circumstances from the corner that followed. Ashley Cole failed to cut out Stephen Hunt's inswinging kick at the near post and the ball drifted into the six-yard box where it bounced off Bosingwa's left shin and into the net.

It was a calamitous start and one that Chelsea struggled to recover from during a fractious first half when Wolves spent long periods defending but rarely looked in serious trouble of conceding an equaliser. The visitors had no shortage of possession but it was a measure of their lack of penetration in and around the Wolves penalty area that Wayne Hennessey had only one save to make before the interval.

That chance came after Zubar, who was otherwise impressive, tried to take a short throw-in close to the byline. Didier Drogba read the full-back's intentions and nodded the ball into the path of Florent Malouda, whose fine centre picked out Salomon Kalou. The forward's prodded shot wrongfooted Hennessey and looked to be heading for the bottom corner but the Wolves keeper, Hennessey, managed to instinctively stick out a right-boot to block. It was a fine stop.

Otherwise Chelsea huffed and puffed but made few inroads into a Wolves rearguard that has kept only two clean-sheets this season. Chelsea were struggling to keep their discipline at times and John Terry was fortunate not to be penalised when he clipped Hunt around the head as the two quarrelled off the ball. Hunt, who has history with Chelsea after his clash with Cech during his Reading days, should also have been cautioned for a poor challenge on Malouda.

Wolves' only other decent opportunity before the break came when Zubar picked Cole's pocket with embarrassing ease – a moment that epitomised Chelsea's travails here – and released Kevin Doyle. The Republic of Ireland international has been sidelined for three weeks and it showed in his tame shot that was easily gathered.

Chelsea should have equalised eight minutes after the restart. Frank Lampard's exquisite backheel set Kalou free on the left-hand side of the area but with only Hennessey to beat the Ivorian dragged his shot wide.

It was no surprise that it proved to be Kalou's last contribution of the night after another disappointing display. Ancelotti introduced Nicolas Anelka, who was dropped from the side that drew 3-3 with Aston Villa on Sunday, in his place as Chelsea's anxiety began to deepen. Malouda headed straight at Hennessey and Drogba pivoted before drilling against the post as Chelsea tried to crank up the pressure.

Wolves were working tirelessly to keep Chelsea at bay, although they might have added a second in the 71st minute when Hunt's free-kick clipped the top of the crossbar. Back came Chelsea as Malouda held off Christophe Berra only to spear his shot beyond the far post. The chances, however, began to dry up in the closing stages as Chelsea's belief wavered and Wolves spirit grew. The final whistle was greeted with delirium in these parts.

Humperdinck classic re-written as social media anthem

Renegade Media has unveiled “Please Retweet Me” - a social media anthem - to raise awareness of the killer disease, meningitis, for the Meningitis Trust.

We took the original 43-year old “Release Me” classic by Engelbert Humperdinck and re-wrote the lyrics, then got a local 30-strong choir to perform it.

Sung by the Drybrook & District Male Voice Choir — average age 60 — “Please ReTweet Me” is already taking YouTube by storm with more than 13,000 views four days after its launch.



The Hump's original lyrics have been replaced with major social network and iconic digital brands including Facebook, MySpace, Google and Twitter. There's even reference to Apple and Android.

The song’s ending, “Facebook me, Facebook me…”, directs viewers via PleaseReTweetMe.com to the Meningitis Trust Facebook page, where they can find out more about signs and symptoms, along with background to the campaign and a downloadable singalong song sheet.

Every year 2,500 cases of bacterial meningitis are reported in the UK – 10% of people will die and 15% will have severe after-effects including brain damage, loss of hearing and sight and, where septicaemia has occurred, loss of limbs and scarring.

Engelbert Humperdinck has supported the project, saying: "I think it's a great thing if it's going to help the charity's work and it would be nice to have it back in the charts.” He added: “And why not change the words? I didn't write it myself but I knew the late Eddie Miller, who did write it, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Sue Davie, CEO of the Meningitis Trust, says: “We want to reach out to a young audience and make them aware of the signs and symptoms, and what they should do if they are concerned. “Please ReTweet Me” appeals to an at risk group; if it helps save one life it will have worked.”



I've been asked several times why, what's the connection? Well there wasn't a rationale when we decided to write a social media anthem, just because we could. OK, now we can post rationalize about how the song is a classic, the new lyrics are memorable and should provoke conversations about a serious subject. Kids tend to listen to their grandparents more than their parents, hence the gentlemen of a certain age singing it.

Ultimately, the contrast between social media brands and icons, perceived as a young person's pastime, and the older generation crooning about them sparks conversations. That's why a gorilla banging a drum can get away with selling chocolate and a man on a horse with a handful of diamonds can sell shower gel.

The spin off is that the Drybrook Male Voice Choir have become local sensations. We hope the knock on effect will be more people interested in a cultural musical phenomenon and will swell the choir's ranks.

And, maybe Engelbert will sell a few extra tickets when he tours next year... who can say. We're already tee-ing up TV and press for the Choir and Engelbert for the New Year, so this viral is only going to build... all through online PR and blogger outreach. Not a cent has been spent on paid-for seeding.

For you music geeks and nostalgics, “Release Me” was a hit for Engelbert in 1967 when it reached number one in the charts and remained there for six weeks. More than 40 years on and the new version has its tongue firmly in its cheek and we tip our hats the maestro.

This couldn't have happened without production company Atticus Finch. We are indebted to Chris, Martin and Noelia for giving their time for free. They came all the way up from London to the Forest of Dean twice on consecutive cold and wet Wednesday nights, with all their gear and made a damn good job of creating a number of films that we think will help save lives. All they got in return was a slap on the back and a bag of fish and chips. We salute you. Power to the people.

Creative Social Amsterdam

Earlier this month I attended Creative Social, the global collective of digital creatives, which gathers twice a year.

Six years on from its debut in 2004, Creative Social returned to Amsterdam, the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. From technology to trading, sex, cannabis and Big Brother, Amsterdam continues to steadfastly push barriers. Consistently ranked third in the Innovation Cities Index and now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Amsterdam is at the top of its game in both the past and the present.

Attending were a 40-strong tribe of creative adventurers from all corners of the globe who together shared their wares and inspired those around them in a city that host Mark Chalmers described as a “Tim Burton movie with wifi”.

Programme stalwart ‘That’s Me That Is’ kicked off the event with 28 reveals of what certain Socials are up to -- each social unveiling a piece of work to be proud of. From the charming to the sublime, the session will best be remembered for LMFM's Sam Ball talking us through his Toilet Tracker initiative for Domestos – follow your turd’s journey at flushtracker.

Every modern creative -- from PR to design -- draws inspiration from technology to popular culture when re-interpreting client briefs. So it was with great excitement that Dutch design [anti] hero, Frank Tjepkama was up next.

Frank Tjepkama
Tripping through a decade of design with Frank Tjepkama, or Tjep to those who know him well, we opened our minds to his ideas on contrast of perception vs reality. Perfect design leading to the perception that reality is imperfect, but still beautiful. A man known for quirky metaphor reflected on past zeitgeist from multifunction furniture to statement jewellery and commercial interior design.

It felt more like Frank’s journey to Mars on a fantasy self-sustaining rocket ship that occasionally docked at a service station of alternate reality. Frank’s vision for saving the planet involves a sustainable Disney Land and Tulips. If you want to know more then sign up for the Tjep Gazette.

Frank presented a series of photographs that in isolation had little meaning, but juxtaposed provided the contrast between design perception and reality. the obsession with perfection and the extreme side of rational thinking vs the reality of imperfection. He went on to outline how the concept of jazz music can be applied to product design – layer upon layer of idea to form a finished piece of texture.

For those of you who are not so familiar with Tjep’s work, check out his iconic jewellery such as the Christian Cross, the Logo of Logos – a multidimensional metaphor for the consuming generation made from his trademark chemical etching process – Tjep’s signature dish.

He’s gone further with cracked vases – the ‘shock proof collection’. Ceramics coated inside with rubber, that when dropped from rooftops, bowled at walls or even shot at, don’t disntergrate, they retain shape take on a new ancient identity of mysterious webs of cracks and chips. He’s applied the process to jewellery with his latest piece, a ceramic heart that comes with a small hammer – the message: break my heart, but it will never fall apart. Genius.

What next? Artificial plants that look artificial -- a new generation of authenticity.

My take? Frank brings meaning to the mundane and utilitarian to the useless. Genius.

Rafael Rozendaal

Alternate realities continued when online artist and Tin Tin lookalike Rafael Rozendaal demo’d his personal democratisation of the internet through the language of vectors and websites-as-art.

His online creations, of which a collector or curator can buy the URL of one of his works, are simple interactions with sound and vision. What might look like a pointless waste of a pixel is jaw droppingly compelling and engaging.

As the world of cinema, TV, gaming becomes more complex and hyper real, Rafael has taken the simplification and exaggeration of sound and colour back to the curious and childlike. watching images flash on screen such as towardsandbeyond catapulted me back to late 80s Commodore 64 games

Rafael says: “People used to buy something, hang it on the wall at home so only they could see it. Today it’s cooler to own a domain name so that everyone can see it. The more people viewing, the cooler it is. Domain names are the only tradable commodity online.”

Influenced by cartoons and abstract paintings Rafael cites Betty Boo, Road Runner, Mickey Mouse and Lichtenstein as his influences. Rafael's sense of cheeky humour is perhaps best expressed in the digitisation of Kazivah’s painting, “High Society In Top Hats”, look out for the now animated ‘peeing man’at kazimirmalevich.

“Art needs a lot of attention these days”, says Rafael, “you have to spend hours or days looking at it to understand it,” adding “I prefer art to be instantaneous”.

When asked about platforms other than the desktop Rafael is quick to resist the temptation to work on everything from mobiles to tablets “the iPhone screen is too small”, should I work for Android or Apple?” he questions, asserting “am I a media company or an artist?”

Flaming Cursor is one of his most popular works, so much so that the single Google banner ad on the page covers all his monthly outgoings and has a whopping 4% click through. We’re disappointed to note that the flaming cursor doesn’t ignite and burn the banner.

Ever the sceptical I wonder if his absent-minded presentation is a non-linear act or orchestrated exploration of his work. So later that evening when we’re sitting in the hangar-like Hotel de Goudfazant next to a ping pong table and a load of dusty cars and motorbikes (it was pointed out it’s not a hotel, neither will you see a golden pheasant. But it’s an amazing place and the food was excellent and will def take the wife there next time I'm in A'Dam), he was charming and self effacing as his innocent line “nothing happens if you don’t touch it”. A manifesto of his way of life.

Wernard Bruining
Continuing the trading theme, Creative Social welcomed Wernard Bruining who founded the first Amsterdam coffee shop ‘Mellow Yellow’ back in 1973. Cannabis and the coffee shops are an underground industry bigger than the over ground and in a world that’s now starting to realise capitalist consumerism doesn’t make things better, maybe we can learn from the way of the herb.

Wernard was inspiring in his passion as a hemp oil evangelist. I thought of him as a Sensimilla Guerrilla fighting to make people aware of the considerable benefits of hemp.

Articulate and knowledgeable, Wernard took the audience through a speeded up history of the coffee shop movement, from humble beginnings as a focal point for social gatherings to billion Euro business that quietly pours millions into the tax coffers of the Dutch Government.

Wernard blew our minds with the amazing uses for hemp as a source of everything from heating oil to wonder medicine. Back through the decades Ford made a car out of hemp plastic, global corporation Du Pont effectively criminalised hemp to protect its oil-fuelled business model, and media tycoon Randolph Hearst protected his paper empire by helping outlaw hemp.

An agricultural and ecological Godsend, marijuana needs no fertilisers or pesticides to grow, is biodecradable – it’s a basic crop for a green future. Use it as concrete or “MediWeed”, the “Peoples Medicine” -- until 1977 30-40% of medicines contained hemp extract, Wernard revealed.

Wernard says: “The world is full of drugs, all medicines are drugs, coffee is a drug, and they are not going to go away – we just need to learn to live with them.”

A paid up cannabis terrorist Wernard believes the so called ‘war on drugs’ has much in common with a religious war where something is proclaimed dangerous for society, and victory, like a drug-free world, is impossible. Sober thoughts from the man who wants to heal the world with hemp.

The best of the rest
Creative Social touched on many interests close to the hearts of digital creatives, there were talks on “How To Pitch a Book” by Taschen’s Julius Wiedman – a man who receives 5000 unsolicited proposals, but who only publishes 65 books a year.

Formats
Then there was Jon de Mol, Founder of Endemol and creator of Big Brother who now runs Talpa, a multi-media empire with new formats and content at it’s heart. Geertje Hoek, manager of Talpa content, spoke about why The Netherlands punches way above its weight in TV formats, what lies at the heart of great format & content, and revealed the next big reality format that will dominate our Saturday-night screens in 2011: “The Voice Of…”, a new talent show with a twist.

Sell, sell, sell
Commercial reality vs creativity was brought to life with an insight into how to build a creative business for a trade sale. Amsterdam created the first stock market, the first share certificate and the first futures. Couple trading with a history of progression and thanks to VC firm Prime Ventures, we can see a great example of the legacy today. Specialising in technology investments with a portfolio including Layar and eBuddy, Creative Social welcomed PV's Rogier Taphoorn. The ex-Lehman Brothers' partner outlined that the name of the game, just like back then, is to make money and scale is everything.

Round tables
Various round tables, which I'd have liked to have seen more of if more time was available, centred on the issues we all experience in a client-servicing business. One I attended focused on the client obsession with paying for hours worked a frustrating if not prehistoric approach to valuing our work. We acknowledged that there are now two pitches to win a client. The first is to the marketing team, where the ideas count and second is to the procurement team. Both have a very different agenda and the latter is harming the industry. I won’t write any more on this as Tobias Gartner of Pilot in Germany has summarised the roundtable nicely here on the Creative Social Blog.

To source or not to crowd source
A similarly charged and interesting rountable entitled Mass Collaboration and Crowd Sourcing is summarised by Giant Hydra’s Ignacio Oreamuno here.

The Creative Social isn't a conference, no one was selling, egos were left at Schiphol. No business was done in the breaks, lunches or dinners (to my knowledge). So it was a refreshing gathering of like-minded people. In other words it was a social, for creatives. Just like it said on the tin.

With thanks to Mark and Daniele.

Does your Facebook campaign break the rules?

In the world of social media marketing there are some great examples of really innovative campaigns - and plenty of lazy copy-cats too. But in our clamour to measure, incentivise and prove that all-important ROI metric, are marketers putting their clients brands at risk by breaking Facebook (or other sites) terms and conditions?

Despite the many different and varied metrics you could choose to use to 'prove' the success of a social networking campaign, many people still choose to take a metric such as 'Likes' or fan numbers as their metric of choice.

As somebody who has worked in and alongside the search industry for many years, the concept of 'obvious but meaningless' metrics is one I'm very familiar with. How many of us haven't heard a brand bemoaning a lack or drop of a certain keyword ranking, despite no focus on conversions, traffic or click-throughs? If a metric is easy for your client to find by themselves, you have to expect that you'll be measured against it.

This dependence on improving 'Likes' had lead to a lot of brands or their agencies clamouring to gain quick results, by any means necessary. One of the most popular ways at the moment is incentivising to 'Like' a page, often by offering prizes, rewards or exclusive offers based on doing so. But did you know that by doing this, you're breaking Facebook's own terms and conditions?

I've seen some high-profile brands doing this lately. I'm not going to embarrass anybody with a name-and-shame, but do any variation on the following Google searches and you can find examples of your own:

Like us on facebook for your chance to...

Like our Facebook page and...

There have also been a few very well-covered examples of this recently, including one well-known travel firm who made a sizable donation to charity when they hit a certain number of fans.

So what's the harm in this practise then? Surely it's just giving something back to the fans for helping to support you? You'd think so, but no...

Extracted from the Facebook Promotional Guidelines page...

Facebook specifically forbids brands from asking users to 'Like' a page in return for something - and they'll happily remove content or possibly even remove the pages of brands who contravene these rules (if they spot them). Are you prepared to have your hard-earned community removed for the sake of a few quick fans?

Not to mention the can-of-worms that is the argument over whether an incentivised 'Like' is even of any value in the first place. Whilst there's no argument that having a fan 'Like' you can give you better exposure to both them and their social connections, how likely are fans who have only Liked you to enter a competition really going to be to add value to your community?

Whatever you opinion of these tactics and their validity, you need to make sure you're aware of the risks you're taking if you don't follow the rules of the communities you're interacting with. If somebody had told you that this is a good tactic, why not point them in the direction of Facebook's T&Cs and ask what their back-up plan is for when that content gets removed?

By Henry Elliss

Jimmy Carr takes mickey out of marketers at Engage

And finally, we were privileged to have funny man Jimmy Carr on the stage taking the mickey out of the industry -- welcome relief.


Wrapping up Engage 2010, comedian Jimmy Carr was quizzed by the silky-tongued “media pluralist” and Parkinson-like IAB chairman Richard Eyre on the popularity of social networking. “No one will overtake Facebook and Twitter," said Carr. "They're like The Beatles and Elvis. They were the first.”

Carr, briefly a marketer for Shell, admitted that he wasn’t very good at the job: “I was sh*t. But that's not a barrier to working in marketing.” And, in a dig at the assembled audience of marketers, he added: “But then if you're really bad you just go client side.”

When asked what advert he would like to star in Carr said: “Show me the money I'm not fussy, I will do feminine bloating if they ask." However, when pressed on the question of selling-out he argued that there is a difference between doing a voice over and appearing in–shot. According to Carr, the brand has to be right for the comedian. “John Smiths made Jack Dee a star, a household name – more so than his TV sitcom. Same with Peter Kay, the ads fit with his personality. A perfect match”.

Showing his up to date knowledge of the advertising business, Carr commented on how he thought brands were becoming more like broadcasters. Referring to the new campaign by beer brand Fosters, which is unveiling ten video clips starring Alan Partridge, Carr commented: “Fosters has become a broadcaster, they’re like the BBC”.
Carr is a renowned Twitter fan and was introduced to the micro blogging network by last year’s Engage comedy turn, Stephen Fry: “Stephen said give this a go”, adding “it’s the perfect tool, easy to use, right for the technology, 140 characters is perfect. Feedback is immediate, people either laugh or they don’t.”

No stranger to social networks, Carr has also performed gigs in Second Life, although admitted he didn’t see the point of virtual reality and preferred the popularity of games. “I did a gig in Second Life, it cost me nothing, it didn’t work, but I gave it a crack. I should have done a gig on World of Warcraft”.

Discussing YouTube, Carr sees it as “a meritocracy, unlike the music business where you have to be incredibly lucky to do well.”

Carr also listed his favourite websites as Chortle - “it’s the business website for comedians” - and The Onion - “everything about it is perfect”. His favourite app is Grinder. “It’s certainly the funniest”, he said deadpan.