Marketing Murmur #7 Mind Boggling Alibaba Stats

Keep saying that all departments from within agencies and companies have to come together as one; yes that includes marketing bods meeting IT geeks. Only then can we really have joined up customer experiences. We need to get that infrastructure in place with people working and talking as one. For many in agencies and even clients, dismiss eCommerce as it doesn't fall under their remit so it then takes a back seat when it comes to any form of connected marketing. It must be at the centre of any comms as it's central to the customer interaction from searching through to buying. Just hearing Alibaba's Single's Day on how much was spent on their platforms, is truly staggering.

If You Want Change Start At The Top

This is #MarketingMurmur 6 vodcast, Some views on the #Shesays event I attended at Karmarama the other night. Hearing the panels horror stories, it struck me how unbelievable rude some clients and agency people behave. Appalling in their demands and bullying emotionally and physically. It's rife in our industry and we do nothing, shame on the management within agencies who allow clients to treat agency staff in this way. Sadly ares holes are at the top regardless of their gender. Most agencies eventually fire clients only when the business is about to leave or they can't make anymore money from it, they then say we did it as they were treating our team badly. The sad truth is; talented people leave the business because of these attitudes. Interested to hear your thoughts and your horror stories and maybe some suggestions on how to change this behaviour.

Art from fabric - Just stunning.Truly.

Just look at this - no words needed apart from inspired fabric sculptor artist Benjamin Shine

The elephant in the room

Marketing Murmur on diversity in our industry and that comment from Justin Tidall

Fidget Phone.

Seen this, I really like it when you combine two things to create something completely new. Welcome to Fidget Phone - I love the fact it has a practical value too. From a marketing perspective I can also see branding and content creation with this. A new media channel. Very impressive and beautifully simple idea.

IKEA - Place Looking Nice Via AR

We have for a long time as agency folk sold in 'transformative' retail work for our clients and harnessing new tech and not so new tech such as AR. The trouble is; the idea is great in scamp form but sadly the end result always failed to impress mainly regarding the technology as it always to me fell short. Not a great experience if anything, it hindered it. The other problem many marketing and agency folk missed was how to push the app through marketing, a more joined approach, connected thinking was always a missing. Then I saw this from IKEA The hope is that Ikea can now inspire customers in new ways and make their lives so much easier. Now instead of going to the store maybe two or three times to look at a couch, feel it, sit on it, envision it within your own home, the customer might only have to make one trip to the store. The app now allows shoppers to actually see the product, in all its assembled glory, as it would really appear in your home. You can see what it looks like in different rooms, against a different wall, etc. IKEA is in a good place when it comes to creativity and innovation to the benefit of its customers. A good place to be for any brand.

Infographic on the importance of colour for brands

Let's Have A Beer #OpenYourWorld

I came across this piece from Heineken and when I started to read the idea I had a bit of a Coke Cola and Kendall Jenner moment. We are seeing more and more brands take this approach, take a topic and set up a social experiment and see it played out. The ad features people who disagree on issues like climate change, feminism, and transgender rights. But there's a catch: The two people don't know they disagree with each other when they first sit down. After a few minutes of getting to know each other, the pair is shown short videos that reveal their dissenting opinions on a particular topic. They're then given a choice: They can leave, or they can try and hash out their differences over a beer. I really like this idea - the actual build to the reveal was really clever and well thought out, by setting tasks you can see them bond, so when their conflicting views are revealed it adds tension and drama. I was transfixed to the end and I didn't feel the brand was forced, it dovetailed in nicely. Now there's a brand that's found its purpose, as we know and it has scientifically proven that most people can come to an agreement on most things over a beer. (As long as it's not too many beers and they are Millwall or West Ham fans:)

Google Deck On What US Kids Think Is Coolio

Found this piece of research produced by Google looking at what US kids think what are cool brands, I love the layout for starters but also what I like about this they don't just give you a top ten cool brands but they breakdown the demographic, sample and more importantly what defies 'cool' very cool and informative, no real surprises in the top 10 as beforehand I asked my daughter who said YouTube and screamed I loooove YT and Pewdiepie who has has 54 million subscribers. One surprise that I did notice was 'least cool' was RedBull and Apple, high in awareness, but not cool? Maybe now 'try hard' Overall this deck is Lit as my kids say.

What were they thinking?

Watching the video of a passenger been randomly dragged of a United Airlines flight I was literally shell-shocked. Shocked how they treated the poor man and for the record he is a Doctor by trade not a madman who went crazy mid-flight. He was chosen, as they needed the space, as they were over-booked!!! Shocked too in the age of ‘live’ broadcast what was the staff thinking? It’s a PR nightmare and I find it amazing that brands invest millions in marketing campaigns but how much staff get trained in dealing with customers? I reckon looking at this, nothing. I bet they now wish they had a time machine and could turn back the clock.

A Familiar Story Well Played

Spotted this little spot, really charming little film - that feeling of been rewarded as a kid, the butterflies you get in your tummy, they linked that to the NZ Lotto of winning it and the fact that they sponsor kids sports in NZ. I must say this spot is really well written and the cast of the kid, with the shot of his face at the end - is genius- nice work all round, well played, shame I can't say the same for my football team, West Ham, hey ho.

Real Time Mobile Data - Mind Blowing

Here's a great little site that shows in real time mobile app and mobile web usage - every second, 24/7. Great to share with anyone client or agency side who still doubts the importance of leading with mobile. View Live Here

Tech Wearables In Sport That Can Make A Difference

I have blogged on here before about IoT especially on the subject of sport apparel for athletes. As a keen runner and swimmer I know what it is like, how can you improve on your PB or performance? I have in the past also been very critical of some IoT in sports and viewed many as a gimmick or developing for tech sake without really thinking about the athlete. One thing, that all of us are aware as athletes is cramping and if you have ever experienced it while competing it can be incredible painful and very frustrating. (I once cramped out in the open sea while 6 foot waves came rolling in, not a very nice experience I still get flash backs) Now here’s something that caught my eye and could be useful in detailing and monitoring cramping and they do this by analysing.... your sweat.

The team at Kenzen have created ECHO H2, a wearable that includes two components: a hardware-based continuous sports monitor, and the flexible H2 Smart Patch. ECHO is based on groundbreaking technology developed for aerospace and medical research in Switzerland. This rechargeable device combines a number of sensor technologies and algorithms that provide real-time feedback on sports performance and vitals.

ECHO captures previously inaccessible measurements like skin conductivity and 3D motion. H2 is a disposable adhesive patch that, when connected to the ECHO monitor, enables wearers to monitor hydration, lactic acid and calorie levels using sweat analysis. It can be worn on the calf or abdomen for up to one week. A corresponding app enables the user to monitor levels and export data to other fitness apps.

Now that’s something that could be very useful as in the past much of this data had to then go off to labs for tests, this IoT wearable saves a lot of running around ☺ and can tell you pretty straight away. Nice

Mobile before and after shot

Isn't this a wonderful shot? A before and after photo of the iPhone, at first glance as a creative art director I admire the simplicity and clean interface of the iPhones compared of old, but something also struck me looking at this photo, they look rather boring and bland compared to the old versions, they looked like fun where as the new ones look a bit soulless. Where everyone copied Apple, they all now look like iPhones. No personality, same same which in marketing terms isn't a good thing to be labelled with. I understand it's the functionality that is what is going to set it apart but from a brand perspective you need to develop a creative strategy that tells the story of the phone, give it some personality, a human touch, that's what then set's them apart. Currently I couldn't tell the difference between a branded or content piece if it's from Samsung or Apple. Time to stand for something and stand out from the crowd me thinks in marketing terms.

The science and art of shopping

Marketing - Dress to impress

It still amazes me how as marketeers we invest thousands upon thousands of money into various marketing from data research, customer journeys, marketing campaigns, apps, PR, packaging, and shinny new platforms based content, and still as marketing directors we forget the basics of what we were taught when we did our marketing degree which is; when selling your product your customer has to be amazed visually or emotionally or in the case of clothing you look amazing wearing it. Yes I know we're not all size 10 models, but there's things we can do that can make us all look good. The brand sells itself when worn, Lacoste is a fine example in clothing and in-store experience. You build an appealing brand. Steve Jobs understood this basic principle too of marketing when launching Apple products (Just looking at the products you would get goose bumps, so why do so many major brands miss this?) Again I believe they operate in silos and for that the whole customer experience is a bit of a let down. Here’s a great example of not truly understanding your customer, this blogger has shown how major retailers have missed the mark. Fitting rooms should have flattering light and pleasing colours that make the clothes look good but Russian blogger Inna visited dressing rooms in 11 different stores and found they often fail to flatter.

Inna visited clothing stores such as H&M, Mango and Zara and compared her before shot, taken with home lighting, to the shots taken in each room. And even though she was wearing the same clothes, and shot the pictures with the same phone, the lighting and background changed her appearance alot from shot to shot.

So what did Inna conclude based on her research? Brighter lights are more flattering, and red used right will really make you stand out, but a dark dressing room can ruin an otherwise good shopping trip. It might make you look moody but you’ll look drab.

Basic stuff right, and you don’t need to invest in thousands of pounds in research to understand that principle. So next time you are planning your next marketing campaign think about the whole customer experience, not just online but when they enter the store, talk to retail staff, go and visit and see for yourself if you have to, be honest with yourself, if it's not great get them involved, the outcome will be much more appealing for you and your customers.

Think You Know Your Films?

Here's some lovely work, in the idea, illustration through to the art direction, it is by the illustrator Maria Suarez-Inclan “Hollywood Kits,” each colorful illustration in the series features props and images from the filmmaker’s stable of movies. While some of these objects are instantly recognizable, others will surely require a bit more thinking. The collection, which is exclusively available on Curioos as art prints, includes twelve original artworks inspired by icons like Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Martin Scorcese, Quentin Tarantino, the Coen brothers my personal favourite is the Coen Brothers - what is yours?

Combining Innovation and Exercise Is Kids Play

What can I say about this piece I came across online? Truly genius, as you know I'm a sports nut, I'm a firm believer that a healthy body is a healthy mind, that is why physical exercise is so important to young kids, so when I saw this my heart skipped a beat. It's so simple and so easy to set up, with a bit of tech, a screen projector and you're ready to go. PE then becomes something beyond to when I was a kid; running cross country in your underpants!! (You did PE even if you forgot your kit in my day) Anyway this gets the kids moving in a fun and interactive way. Hat tip to the school. Please any PE teachers out there who see this, what's stopping you doing the same?

Introducing Uber Movement

Uber is launching a new service that could help cities master their traffic. It’s called Uber Movement, and it uses information on the billions of rides Uber has completed. It’s free, open to anybody who wants to use it—today that’s limited to select planning agencies and researchers—and lets users track car travel times between any two points in a city at any time of day. It actually seems pretty helpful.

Looking at this animation this looks very slick and informative, I remember working on Google Business and they had something similar - as a package to gov and industries it was pricey, Uber will be offering it for free! Maybe an olive branch to local councils as we know Uber's relationship with councils like New York is strained. I'm sure this could make amends.

Before and after saying; 'good boy'

Full view here

Human Drone Snowboarder

With the help of Samsung and YouTube star Jesse Wellens of the channel PrankvsPrank, Neistat takes flight over a small Finnish ski village wait for it...by a drone. Yes a drone that can actually pull and if needed lift a person off the ground. Good watchable content. While watching it got me thinking, this kit could one day be used in 'search and rescue'. I love tech when we start experimenting.

Parkinson's NSW Mannequin Challenge

Great Use Of Creativity and Innovation

‘Through The Dark’ is a collaboration between Google Play Music and Hilltop Hoods. It’s a made-for-mobile interactive film that brings to life a song written by Dan Smith as his son underwent treatment for leukemia. It reveals a father and son’s journey through two worlds - the light and the dark. A lovely piece of story-telling and rather than just a static watch the viewer has to interact via their mobile to continue the story, uses smartphone's tilt, turn and view functionality - simple but I know technically the backend to make this move through fluidly is challenging, this could have gone easily wrong so hat tip

Look at the bigger business opportunity

Is there a DJ in the Bacardi house?

Nice hack on Instagram Stories turn your Instagram Story into a DJ simulator.Search @BacardiUSA and tap the profile to DJ like a pro! Puts a new meaning to Bacardi mixer

Creativity, innovation, and functionality as one

I love design even from an early age I was the kid that had the most colourful clothes, I’m a huge fan of Paul Smith for his creativity. I admired great typographers in the likes of Herb Lubalin, in his simple but fluid design to architecture in Frank Lloyd Wright, who broke the rules with lines and structure that look as modern as they did over 70 year's ago. So when I saw this by a designer called Scott Summit, I gasped, from here I saw something that told a story of each person that had obviously had a very traumatic experience in losing a limb but looking at these designs I couldn’t help admire the design and creation.

Scott used 3D printing technology to create one of a kind artificial limbs for each of the patients. Even more, he allows each patient to bring their own ideas on how they can customize the shape or the design of the prosthetics. Artificial limbs are first and foremost made to function properly, with durability and realism the second and third most important features, but few amputees receive an artificial limb that looks like a work of art. Here I think you’ll all agree the designer has done an amazing job on all counts.

Mind Boggling Content Stats Posted By The Second

From Visually.

Music Re-imagined

Once in a while, a game-changer comes along, this piece is one of those - well it's not a piece but more a block. How it works; BLOCKS is a modular music studio that lets anyone shape music. Build your instrument as you go and customize a kit, brilliant game changing to creating original music. A mighty hat tip to the team at ROLI pushing innovation, interaction and creativity

Some problem solvers create even more problems

Sometimes as problem solvers we get wrapped up in our own little world. It could be; over indulgence with a design, we make it way too complicated for the customer to know where to look. Sometimes we're tired, maybe out the night before drinking, and thinking that maybe that last shot should have been the last shot, so you cut corners. Whatever the reason as problem solvers we aren't important, neither is our own little world, what is important is our customers and the challenge they face. Take this example they must have had all massive hangovers surely this can be the only reason. They didn't think about their customer whatsoever, do you really think that your customer is just going to sit their while their mouse charges? The end solution should always be seen through the eyes of the end customer. Problem solved, maybe they could have designed a re-chargeable mouse mat so they could carry on working.

When a problem becomes the solution

This is just amazing - now here are two inspiring young ladies, they are engineering graduates from the Islamic University of Gaza and they have defied all stereotypes with their design of an affordable new building block made from the rubble of war, and they're about to scale operations for mass production. Subverting a crippling Israeli blockade that makes importing construction materials a demeaning, expensive, and time-consuming process, Majd Mashharawi and Rawan Abddllaht overcame a litany of obstacles to develop their green bricks. Their goal is to help Gaza residents rebuild their homes after three wars in 10 years have left thousands of buildings in ruins. Brilliant beating men at their own game.

Fashion Tech Innovation

BOLT from Thomas Kool Creations on Vimeo.

Bolt is a jacket that lets people carry and charge their various electronics without the need for an outlet Thanks to Amsterdam-based designer Thomas Kool, the Bolt collection merges fashion and function by providing a stylish parka that lets users charge their devices inside the pockets. Apart from the skinny jeans I think this Parka is very Kool

This 360-treadmill is the future of virtual reality gaming

Love this - if it means getting the kids of the couch when it comes to gaming this has now gone to the next level.VUE VR Treadmill is a first-of-its-kind active virtual reality motion platform in which your actions in the virtual world are controlled by first-person navigation like walking ,running, creating an unprecedented sense of immersion that cannot be experienced with sitting down. VUE VR Treadmill lets you walk, run, sit and crouch with 360-degree freedom of movement allowing you to control your avatar without restraints.

Customers With Even More Power

Interesting to see how yet again more evidence that the customer is taking ownership and more control from brands, I love this idea as you can see where the clothes and products you are buying are sound ethically, this is something I have always struggled with when shopping offline or online - in do we really know how a product has been manufactured? Well now you can thanks to co founders of DoneGood Cullen Schwarz and Scott Jacobson who developed this chrome extension

As you browse, DoneGood will tell you that there's a better option that fits your buying criteria, like a union factory or a woman-owned company. A Google search for "men's dress shirts" yields a list of ads and results from the most expected brands. But if you install a new Chrome extension called DoneGood, you'll also get a lesser-known suggestion: 'Tuckerman, a startup that makes organic cotton shirts in a union factory in Massachusetts'. This approach really benefits the SME businesses who are making products of high quality and managed correctly in treating their staff etc. In this instance the company DoneGood, very clever and something that is really useful for shoppers, I love the fact that the internet gives the power to the customer and can dictate where they spend their money, brands who think they can hide with sub standard working practises will eventually get found out.

Lights, Action, Lights

Latest IKEA from Mother - very simple idea, beautifully shot, location looks like Thamesmead (Seems to be of a director's shooting mecca for edgy urban landscapes) the cast and the music makes the spot complete. If you're wondering who's the track by it's Patrick Watson -Lighthouse - proper old school TV spot that stands out in a dire landscape of TV spots

Great art direction craft is truly an art form

This post is going back to old skool _well I'm listening to some old skool Soul so it seems quite fitting, but I wanted to share as I think it's vital for young art directors, designers or budding photographers the importance of craft. In an age where time is money and money is time and most people have neither this is a great case study in how to save money and time but still create something magically. Step forward Felix Hernandez Rodriguez who was commissioned by Audi to shoot their top of the range sports car retail price at a tidy $200,000 and what does he do? He shoots a toy $40 model of the car.

Now mere mortals would seriously struggle in making this look slick and something that could be used in print in fact even for online we would struggle, but this cat by using props, clever angles and lighting has produced something truly incredible. Now I don't know this photographer but looking at the shots this guy is highly trained and knows how to art direct, it's not just a job title. Not only is he talented but smart too. Could you imagine getting the real car on different locations? I know from experience of working on many car brands just getting the car on set is an issue and when you do, you have a time slot.

It reminded me of a shoot I did for Castrol the concept was a visual of one of those old fashioned chimney sweeps coming out of the exhaust. (Castrol stopped the build-up of soot in your engine apparently) So everything was signed-off and as a young art director everything was planned out, re-sizing my crops etc. But I had over looked one thing; the exhaust was too short so you couldn't fit the sweep in. Slight panic on my face started to appear as I wss in the studio that was charging 10K a day!! The photographer Kevin Summers at the time saw my face of horror and smiled, he went away and then 10 minutes later he returned with a cardboard tube sprayed black - he walked over to the BMW and whacked it on the back, at that point even more look of horror spread across my face, he smiled further and said he would light it and no one would know, I was nervous but he was right. No one ever knew till now. This was a great learning curve in my career, in you must really learn your trade to break the rules, this principle still applies today even in the tech world we live in You can see the full joyous piece here

Amazing use of 3D printing

How cool is this, somewhere you and kids could visit, making your own cakes but using 3D printing, idessert where you create and select your cake via a touchscreen, and then voila it is then made via 3D printing. Now you can enjoy not just eating cake but watching it been made. More Cake Off than Bake Off.

Amazing Creativity

Chie Hitotsuyama "Paper Trails" - Short Documentary from Ayako Hoshino on Vimeo.

This is incredible and a great back story, here a Japanese paper artist replicates amazing wild animals using intricately bound newspaper. Over the past four years, Hitotsuyama and her team have worked to create lifelike paper creatures with staggering accuracy. After wetting the newspaper, they twist, fold, squish, and roll it, and then bind it into the desired form. The artist builds paper sculptures representing everything from manatees to monkeys, including some endangered animals such as rhinoceros and sea turtles. Hitotsuyama even takes advantage of color-printed newspapers in some sculptures, using the gradations to mimic the animal’s actual coloring. Every inch of every intricately bound animal sculpture is made entirely by hand.

Simple Planning

I'm sure you have seen this visual as it's been around for a while, but it just popped up again on my social feed. I looked at it again and laughed as I always do and then as I thought of it even more, I felt like crying. How can some people be so so stupid? With all their education and degrees in marketing etc how could they not see this? Really even without a bloody degree how could you miss it? Well I think this sums up alot on what's happening at the moment in the industry, trying to be a smart arse and then missing the point completely many blinkered by research data and insights and all the voodoo that goes with it. Just pause and think and look at everything in pure simple terms. They might have degrees coming out of their ears but one degree in this instance that's missing is a degree in common sense.