the slightly smaller rotunda
huzzah!
Your help: what is this called?
My Googling skills have let me down, because I’m sure the below concept has a name, but I can’t seem to find what it is. Do you know?
What I’m describing: when the last result in a sequence of results has undue emphasis - or responsibility - placed on it, simply because it happens to be last. An example: when there’s a vote of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ held up 5 people, with the first 4 votes resulting in a tied score. The phrase ‘it all comes down to this last vote’ is often used, when in fact, if any if this 5th vote had been revealed earlier in the sequence, it would not come down to that particular vote at all.
Does anyone know what that concept is called?
The 3 roles of an agency
Agencies can only perform these roles; their reason to exist has to be one (or a mix) of these.
If they’re not meeting at least one of these roles, they’re not long for this world. And I also suggest you’ll find those agencies doing well are clear on where they play (or don’t play) under each area:
-
Clarity / challenge
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Intermediation - procedure / process / save time contact points etc
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Aggregation / concentration of [spend / data / etc] (e.g. DSPs)
“Paceman is a unique product that required a very different marketing approach,” said Gabrielle Byfield, Mini Brand Communications Manager. - Mumbrella post.
Actually, being a unique should mean it’s less likely to need a different approach in marketing. If truly has a USP that is appealing, promo that to as many people as possible through traditional comms. It’s the bland, lookalike products that need marketing method to differentiate them.
(Source: mumbrella.com.au)
The Icon Group appoints Paul Cooke - mUmBRELLA
Why is this in a news release? Are people truly that hungry for coverage to disclose things like this…?
Below is a tweet from Neil, who heads up research at the FTA UK body ThinkBox.
“Only small volume and short term effects from loyalty campaigns. Talk to new customers to really drive volume, price and profit #longshort”
Source: His tweet here.
I agree with what Neil says/quotes in the tweet from their conference he was at but only if he’s talking about broadcast / analogue media.
A well-run CRM programme in digital (read: practically, email) across a good proportion of your total customer base, wil keep paying back, in large volume and w/ long term effects.
Of course, the watchword there is “well-run”.
Your media agency is stuffed if…
…your model of operation is based on being the go-between media owners and client.
If that’s the place where you add the most value, you’re in trouble.
Planner vs analyst
In the marketing world of 2012, it’s often easy to confuse a signal, or a sympton.
In days gone past, a planner (in agency-world) would rely on a mix of two things: past experience, and gut feel.
These days though, increasingly (good) planners are adding a third thing to the mix: data & figures. For some planners, they’re more about the data then the gut feel and past experience.
These days, it’s dangerous to assume that just because someone is good with numbers/data/Excel/analytics that they are an analyst. The chances are just as likely they’re a planner for the digital age.
“What do you remember most - the IDEA or the ‘channel’ you saw it on? Grey has proven again and again that it all starts with BIG IDEAS. There’s not a communications channel in the world that can fix a bad idea.”
That is a quote attributed on the Grey website to Luke Waldren, who earlier this month got promoted to CEO of Grey Group Australia. (I can’t deep link to it, but you can find it in their Flash site, under “Leadership” then Luke’s pic/name.)
Grey is also known for its own strapline, ‘Famously Effective’.
I would suggest though that NO idea can ever be considered great if it’s never seen by those who need to see it. And it certainly can’t be considered ‘effective’ if it’s never seen by those who need to see it. (And by the way, in case you’re confused, it’s the target audience who need to see it, not the marketing director or the managing director.)
An unvoiced contradiction
So much of a creative agency’s time, effort & focus is spent on the detail and the execution, the “craft”. They go back and forth over weights of lines, or font faces used, or size of images. None of this is bad.
But all of this is done in the hope that response will be increased (be it literal response, or impact, or takeway). Increased because it’s more impactful, or more noticeable, or more pleasing to the eye.
Whether or not an art director’s views are ever voiced in that language, that’s what he’s trying to improve.
So why is it that creative agencies tend to forsake - or not even entertain in the first place - any/all other means to the same end of greater response? Re-targeting, multi-variate testing, AB testing, dynamic ads…
Facebook <3 Channel Ten? Not a chance
There was an article in the biz section of The Age this weekend, that suggested Channel 10 is about to do a deal with Facebook. Details are very (very) light on, but it draws parallels to the co-habitation arrangements that Seven has with Yahoo, and PBL has with MSN, including hinting at a resales arrangement where Ten would handle FB ad inventory.
It’s not going to happen - at least not in any recognisable form.
Why? Two main reasons:
a) It would go against Facebook’s stance as a platform. FB currently provides all the tools that any TV network can use
b) The opportunity cost for FB to have an exclusive relationship with Channel Ten is phenomenal. Plus, contradicts the same platform stance.
If Ten is in fact chasing a formal alliance with Facebook, it demonstrates how they’re not grasping what role Facebook can and is playing in social marketing.
Marketers are a critical (weak) link
Most all of the people I’ve met up with over coffees for the last week or two have had to put up with me ranting about the following: while everyone is talking about agency models of the future/present, no one is highlighting enough that often mediocre outcomes are because of mediocre inputs and abilities from marketers themselves.
So I was happy to see this Mumbrella post from today about how the new Bonds campaign will most likely be a rip-roaring success:
You may recall Lindsey Evans was one of the architects of the Tontine campaign when she worked at the now defunct Happy Soldiers. After a period of consultancy Evans officially joined Pacific Brands at the end of the year, heading up the underwear brands.
Needed: A Melbourne food truck fair
(….or ‘fayre’ if you’re so inclined)
One of the things I’ve been excited to see on returning to Melbourne is that food trucks are now alive and well in the city.
The 4 I know of are Taco Truck, Beatbox Kitchen, Le Sausage, & Gumbo Kitchen.
(If you know of more, let me know!)
The wee problem is, not nearly enough people are aware of them. I don’t mean any one particular truck, I mean that food trucks are awesome and now available in (the northside of) Melbourne. For example, I’ve got a friend called Angela. She’s hip, she’s happening, she’s got a decent disposable income to spend on things like a taco on a Wed night. She just wasn’t aware that food trucks have arrived in Melbourne, so didn’t know to follow them on Twitter or Facebook throughout the week.
In other words, there is a category awareness job that needs doing.
Solution? A food truck fair.
One Saturday. Planned in a few weeks in advance. At a big park (footy oval?) somewhere.
All the food trucks involved. With extra stocks so they can go from lunch all through the afternoon. Pre-publicised, so places like Broadsheet & The Thousands & The Age section can write about it.
9 Australian micro-brewery beers, on @Stickygram magnets, after being stylised with the Toon Paint app.
The beers are, from left to right:
Top row: Endeavour Reserve Amber Ale, Burleigh Brewing Pale Ale, Kooinda Valhalla Golden Ale;
Middle row: Mornington Witbier, Feral White, 4 Pines Kolsch;
Bottom row: Murray’s Whale Ale, Bowral Brewing Co Pigs Fly Pale Ale, Balmain Pale Ale
Let me know if you want a copy of these and I’ll put an order in ($15 incl postage from Stickygram).
About Me
I do things in digital & marketing & business. This is another place where I collect things. Sometimes I write things too here - they're the ones tagged as 'Own' & you can view them here. Also check me out here on Twitter @andrewpascoe & Delicious. The name? Loosely based on a song & album by The Lucksmiths.
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