The difference between a meme and a viral

A viral is the same piece of content that is passed from person to person. The content is 'static'

e.g Vanilla Ice Sorry


A meme is an idea/piece of content that is remixed and passed from person to person. The content is 'fluid'.

e.g LOLCATS


Memes are superior because they usually have a longer shelf life as people can keep changing them and the peer who passes them on can help effect the content and has a vested interest in the outcome.

2 Best Social Media Marketing Academics

When I was back in my academic thesis writing days my two Academic idols in Social Media Marketing were Susan Fournier and Danah Boyd. Danah has the biggest online bookshelf of online social networking academic papers. If you can understand academic jargon, that link is like pure gold, you will even see my ol' thesis get a mention. ;)

Anyways, Susan Fournier wrote my favourite paper, she cracked the idea of Brand Relationships. In a nut shell, we have relationships with products and brands similar to how we perceive our relationship with people.

Fournier has come back again and written a cracking article on Brand Communities in Harvard Business Review. Get ready to have your mind blown. Here is a taste, I am going to get a few more blog post out of her article.



Spot on, I think that Facebook Fanpages act more as badges rather than communities. I do not see that much conversing going on, it is more about just associating with those brands.

The ROI of Social Media

You are often asked to show the ROI of social media. How many rolls of toilet paper is this going to sell?

When was the last time someone asked for the ROI of running a television commercial?

I've been told this is what all mediums go through at the start of their lifecycle. It happened with TV when people would only advertise in newspapers and radio and it will happen with Digital.

I forgot who told me this, probably Ben.

Unicorn Tattoos and Blog Comments

I really want to give my blog a tattoo, which one do you think I should get?
Via this






Sometimes blog comments can get lost or people do not go back and read them, I just wanted to highlight two comments that really got me thinking. Both came from the same post on The Wire and Institutional Dysfunctionality.

This one by Ben Shepherd is right on the money talking about companies adopting social media.

The problem is a difficult one but my feeling is it comes back to resource like most things.

Companies want more results for less resource - lower staff numbers, agency fees etc

Digital channels generally require more resource per dollar spent.

This can be the hurdle.

I take my hat off to Telstra too but they're a big company with a huge spend and I would hazard a guess their social team on paper would not be scrutinised like their other CRM touchpoints in terms of ROI.

Remember too, companies often continue doing things the way they've always done them because they continue to work for them. I guess social media needs to present itself as something other than 'a shitload more work or responsibility for someone already at capacity'.

And Returnon.

Loved The Wire, one of my 3 favorite series along with Deadwood and Arrested Development.

David Simon also created one of the best miniseries I've ever seen, and I consume film, TV, cable, etc like Coolio consumes crack.

Its called Generation Kill, about the 1st recon marines during the 'Shock & Awe' campaign in Iraq. Another exploration of Institutional Dysfunction, this time with the fog of war clouding judgment, not to mention senior officers keen to add another star to their epaulets before the end of what they predict will be a quick war.

As with The Wire, those on the front line in Generation Kill are arbitrarily denied basic tools to get their job done efficiently, often due to misplaced priorities. I see that in many Australian businesses, where the majority of an ad budget is spent on a run-of-the-mill TVC campaign, while online struggles with pocket change.

The senior officers in corporations and Generation Kill desire quick, visible results with which to sate their hunger for credit and promotion. Neither wants to get mired in what they deem confounding and unnecessary like humanitarianism or social media.

The fundamental difference is that the senior officers in Generation Kill are responsible for lives and operating with the fog of war limiting their judgment. Corporations can claim no such excuse when children are adept with the tools they shun. Where metrics are freely available and candid consumer feedback can be clarified with engagement. Where positive ROI has been established as more likely than traditional media.

Its not like lives are stake when marketing directors tell their agency or the enthusiastic marketing junior that they're waiting to see how Twitter turns out...

Smart Spammers

It is not often that you see a smart spammer. Normally they cannot even spell. But I think I found a smart one.

This is potentially the best broadest targeted blog comment I have seen. It makes it feel like it is related to you. The problem is that she cannot remember what her name is Ruth or Tessa?!?!?! It is only when you go to her site and see the response from everyone else that you realise it is a spammer.

I take my hat off to you Ruth......or Tessa

5 new Australian Marketing blogs worth reading

I have not done a five new blogs worth reading for awhile. Twitter has definitely helped to uncover alot of new marketing blogs (therefore I have included Twitter handles in the following bloggers summaries).

1. Dan Pankraz vs. Youth (@danpankraz)

Dan looks at youth brands and culture. He has a good series where he segments the Youth Market (e.g Social Netsetters - travelling to show off). If you like Gen Y blogs you also have to check out Three Billion.

2. Community Girl (@emmakatetyler)

Emma Kate Tyler blogs about the topic of Community Management. An interesting blog which draws inspirations from a number of sources. She has a great post on the David vs Goliath stories from Social Media.

3. Joely Righteous (@JoelyRighteous)

Joel Pearson works for PHD digital and writes a blog on digital media and everything thereabouts including KFC Zinger Tower Burgers. He wrote a cracking post on 'The problem with all these Social Media Specialists'

4. Hayley (@hayleygleeson)

Hayley Gleeson works in advertising however her blog is more of a general outlet than specifically just about advertising. She shares a similar story to mine of moving to Sydney for work. She shares the feelings of moving city in a great post.

5. OMG with Emily (@emilyomg)

Emily is by no means a new blog however I have forgotten to include Emily on the Top Australian Marketing Blogs list in the past. Emily talks about the fine line between music and marketing. We both share a love of Kid Cudi which is always a bonus!


Top Australian Marketing Pioneers Blogs
I am going to update the Top Australian Marketing Blogs in June and it looks like we will be pushing over 150 Marketing Blogs.

If you have a Marketing Blog that you do not think is on the Top 150 Marketing Blogs, please let me know through a comment or email and I will add you to the list.

Jungle Boys swing in - 4 Production Companies becoming consumer facing

Happy Easter!


Production company The Jungle Boys have set up a comedy skit show on their Youtube Channel, they promise to deliver new content every month.

I think this is a really good strategy by the boys, as they are becoming a consumer facing brand. If they consistently keep creating good content then they will gather a loyal audience via subscribers; which then in turn can becoming part of the selling proposition to brands. They start to create their own media channel. I also just think it is great that they are just getting out there and creating great content, I want in! :)

Here is my favourite one of their so far


Other examples of Productions companies creating content online.

The Nice Guys - The guys behind the Sprite Truth Hunters also have their own channel. Here is there 'Poogee Bay Hotel' Skit


And from Melbourne the Vive Cool City guys who have done the Chupa Chups MTV Awards interviews stuff lately.

Anyone know of any other local examples?

The most successful global Production Company / Person would have to be Kevin Nalty / Nalts (86th most subscribed Youtuber of all time) he is a career marketer by day and video producer by night. He also writes the blog Will Video For Food which looks at brands and how they interact on Youtube.

15 Fashion Brands using Social Media in their Marketing Mix

All links point to more information on the examples. Thanks to everyone who helped via Twitter.

1. American Apparel finds models through blog Chictopia (USA) and they are on Twitter as well.


2. Burberry Beat for Men - Burberry launched a new cologne and had profiles on all the major sites giving information about style/music/fashion through the following portals (UK) - Facebook/Youtube/Myspace /Bebo


3. Billabong (Australia)

Little Weeds – Help give people the chance to follow their dream in surfing (competing, modeling, journalism, photography) reminds me of V-Raw. Joint project with StabMagazine.

Billabong also have a Twitter/Facebook Page/Blog account for both boys and girls.

4. Street Fashion Bloggers shooting big brand ranges (Global)

Above Street Fashion Blogger Jak and Jil shooting the new range of Lane Crawford

Other Blogger + Fashion Label Collaborations;
Satoralist + DKNY
Pete Muzak + Urban Outfitters

5. Marc Jacobs named a bag after fashion blogger Bryanboy after BB made this documentary about Marc (USA)


6. Bluefly – Confessions of a Shopaholic (USA)


7. Oasis Facebook Wadrobe (UK) - You can create your own outfits on and then share them with your Facebook friends. Smart and simple.



8. Diesel The Heidies (Germany) -Can someone tell me the difference between this Gold Cannes winning work and Witchery Man Jacket hoax?



9. Lover (AUS)
11. Lover is a Australian label that is living and breathing social media and Twitter/Facebook/Podcast


10. Sportsgirl Facebook App - Hot or Not (Australia)

11. Howies Clothing – Blog (UK)


12. Facebook FanPage for Victoria Secret 'Pink' (USA) - Fanpage plus videos of two guys travelling around USA in a truck (lost, so am I)


13. TopShop Myspace Profile (UK)Had profile on Myspace ran by store attendants, currently have 8,000 friends give discounts too. 5% of visitors comes from Myspace

14. H&M Facebook FanPage – Style Guide (UK)


15. Puma Mash Clothing Styles (UK)

Adidas Urban Art Tours iPhone App!

Adidas Originals (Germany) is kicking arse this year, first the Ultimate House Party, now Urban Art Tours Iphone App. I don’t know German so I cannot tell you the functionality; but I am hoping that people would be able to submit their own stories behind their favourite graffiti work from around the city and you also had the chance to vote on the best pieces.

This seems like a natural extension from the Melbourne Laneways Podcasting Tours from 2 years ago.

For more examples of great iPhone Branded Applications.

Game Plan for Institutional Dysfunction. Lessons learnt from watching The Wire

One of the best scenes from The Wire

Social Media Evangelists have to not only educate but also have a strategy in place for institutional dysfunction.

I have been watching The Wire, David Simon has created a cracking drama, he has breached on a really interesting theme in the series called, ‘Institutional Dysfunction’. I define it as all the bureaucracy problems that are faced within organizations, these are mainly caused because the goals of the individual and organization are not always aligned. He demonstrates that this happens both within the ‘Baltimore Police Force’ and the illegal Drug Syndicate.

In terms of Social Media Marketing, I think that there a number of people within companies that understand what they need to do in terms of social media marketing but because of Institutional Dysfunction they are not able to implement these activities.

With this in mind, You have got to take your hat of to BigPond for the pace that they got to market with their Twitter account @bigpondteam.

I think the job of the evangelist/agent driving social media change within an organization, is to not only educating a company but also have a game plan of how they are going to deal with institutional dysfunction in making sure that a company embracing social media becomes more than just an idea.

Alright we got real deep just then, I promise fluff pieces for the rest of the week.

Australian Youtube star Blunty3000 and Toshiba promotion

Blunty3000/Nate (Australia's 3rd most subscribed Youtuber) has collaborated with the people at Toshiba, he is giving people the chance to win a new computer all they have do is tell Toshiba what song they should put in their latest commercial.



Why does this work?

- Low involvement to entering. All you have to do is suggest a song.

- Blunty3000 is all about technology and gaming so this is not a stretch for his audience or for him to talk about computers.

- Full disclosure is given that; Nate has teamed up with the people at Toshiba.

The whole thing is pretty similar to any promotion you would see running on television. What is interesting about it is that Australian Youtube Vloggers are starting to do paid forbranded promotions with full disclosure.

EDIT: My bad, after the jump on Nate Youtube description it states that this is not a paid for promotion. However, Nate would love to get a new Toshiba, and they would be mad not to give him a computer after what he has just done! IMO there is no drama here if money did exchange hands anyway.

On a side note, anyone know the agency involved?

I party farkin hard wif me mates, I got photos to prove it! WTF is Public Identity?

Do your mates like to P-A-R-T-A-Y hard on the weekends? Do they get really munted or pass out drunk all the time?



Then you might need to submit the evidence to Skanked Weekly – Facebook Group. The group is ‘A weekly pictorial update of the worst of the worst. The trash of Melbourne seedy underground.’ This is a public group that ANYONE can join. Even your future employers.

It is always very entertaining viewing and I sometimes think about dobbing in my mates.

But I always come back to my mothers sage advice;

If Asher Moses took those photos and published it on the front of SMH would it still be LULZ-worthy?


Probs not, don’t want to embarrass my mates that much.

Last week, Over in Perf a small time blogger LoversandLobbers (a blog that captures clubbers who have taken too many pills or very public displays of affection) published some interesting shots of a nice gal giving a good servicing to a guy under the piano in a popular Perth nightclub.

Turns out via comments time, that the boy in photo was married and that girl is not wifey.

Photos became little Perf meme and turned up on NOVA website.
Guy in photos asks blogger to take them down,
Blogger tells him to get stuffed.


Public identity is in a little bit of a pickle at the moment. People are told to be careful what they publish online but in a number of cases it is actually a third party who can alter your identity via publishing/tagging you in incriminating photos.




New problems for the youf of Australia?

What is your advice to iGens knowing that Amateur Paparazzi are out every Saturday night but all they want to do is feel ‘real’ via ecstasy, munch their jaws off for 6 hours and then get intimate with 'new friend' at club?

Six practical tips to getting a video onto the Youtube Honours Board

I am getting pretty good at this photo editing thing.


Most so called 'viral videos' online are pretty much stuffed before they start.

One thing that is stressed at The Population is that with clients we do not like to be brought on after production of an idea. We are not a seeding company. The success of any content online relies 90% on the content; whether it has been built for an online audience in mind and whether it is remarkable.

However there is that other 10%, where alot of Ad Agencies/Marketers fall over. Once video content has been released online, people just expect it to go viral because it is good. However I feel alot of companies either dont know or do not 'drive' content hard enough in this initial stage.

For me one of the key performance indicators I always look at is the Youtube Honour Board. This accounts for the most viewed clips for the (day/week/year). Being on the Honour Board works two ways, it proves you have driven enough eyeballs but it then helps to spotlight your video and helps it get to a wider audience.

6 things about the Youtube Honour Board that are vital to creating a viral success.

1. You have really got 24 hours to hit it, from the minute you publish your video you have 24-48 hours to get it on the Daily Honour Board. No slow burn approach for Youtube.
2. Remember that the Australian Honour board will only take into account Australian views, concentrate on getting to an Australian Audience to begin with.
3. Australian online news sources (news.com.au, smh.com.au, etc.) can seriously help generate traffic, think about a strong media release strategy.
4. StumbleUpon can help offer social advertising, which point relevant traffic towards your video.
5. Approx 10,000 views will get you in the Top 5 most viewed for a Daily and 10,000 for the Top 20 for Weekly.
6. How does your video sound in 100 characters? because that is all you have to help it hit on Twitter.

Have you got any other solutions to helping getting a video into the honour board?

Top 10 Branded iPhone Applications - Utility Marketing

After going to Ad:Tech I got inspired yall. I heard about the future of marketing being utility marketing. Creating services which help your customers. I was told that I would find this nirvana on my iPhone, in the App store. So I did a bit of searching for branded Apps. I found that there was a limited amount of offline brands creating apps, those that did create Apps nicely fited into four categories;

Utility- The brand helped create something that would help people in their life, it was not directly related to the product that the company sold.
Extension -This was Application that supported the current product offering. In a number of cases reformatting content into an App.
Entertainment - This was when brands created games and in a way sponsored the 'good times'
Apps for Apps sake - This was when a company knew they had to have an App but didnt know what to make.

Top 10 Branded iPhone Apps.

Proof that I did my research and I don't read your emails

1. World Nomads Language Courses (Utility)
Learn French from your phone. I like this extension they are giving value to people with this application. Something all travelers need and when they come to think about Travel Insurance hopefully World Nomads will be top of mind.

2. Surf Report – Oakley (Utility)
Offering the grommits a chance to find the surf report = gold. They have also given you the opportunity to stay in contact with Oakley sponsored riders.

3. Carlings iPhone Beer (Entertaining)
A game where you wobble a beer down a bar and then get to drink a virtual beer. Hint: You can entertain friends kids with this one for hours and at the same time turn them into future Binge Drinkers.

4. Volkswagen Polo Challenge (Entertainment)
Reminds me of that game you used to play on your gameboy where you would chase the car and you could never get past the second level! What was the name of that game? Yeah, this game is that except your driving your ex-girlfriends car.

5. ESPN Cameraman (Entertainment)
Wow this game sounded awesome, I can fulfill my life long dream of being a Paparrazi! Turned out to be, spot the difference game! :(

6. ANZ Banking (Extension)
What a sweet app, I enjoyed this throughly, especially the part where they asked me to put in my banking deets. Oh yeah that is right I am with Commonwealth Bank. But if I did have an ANZ, I would be able to transfer money between accounts and view transactions.

7. ABC (Extension)
Now I can listen to Triple J when I am walking home! This is awesome! I don't even listen to Triple J but if I ever did I would so use this App.

8. QANTAS(Extension)
Learn when your flight has been delayed by 3 hours, find where the QANTAS lounge that you are not a member of is in any airport in the world.

9. Pinks Funhouse –Sony Music (Extension)
I think this will become quite common (not angry woman singers empowering 14 yr old girls all round the world but Musicians having apps), you can buy the songs, see pictures and keep up to date on the latest Musicians news.

10. Spin the Coke (App for Apps sake)
In 2006, I went to a Ja Rule concert, it was pretty much awesome, until he got to his slow song, Ja - 'If yall feeling me right now raise your lighters, if you dont have a lighter, raise your mobile phones!'. And with that 5,000 14 year old girls raised their phones.
Okay this App is a bottle that you spin, so when you are at that crazy arse house party and someone suggests a game of Spin The Bottle, and there are no bottles around, you can pull out your iPhone and save the day! Thanks Coke!

Notables
Disney World Webcam
If Michael Jackson was ever to create a iPhone Application, creating an App that had a video stream of kiddies playing with fantasy characters would have to be pretty high up there. This app allows you too see the lines for rides, weather and a map! Sweet!

Betty Crocker Mobile Cookbook, QANTAS, BMW Z4 , Quantum of Solace, , Weather Channel

From Online Ghetto (4chan) to Civilised Communities (Facebook)

Lately, I have been doing a bit of discourse analysis (looking at the conversations that take place) for brands in social environments. One thing I have noticed is the quality of insights is dependent on the channel alot of the times.

I believe that there are two traits that affect how civilized a community will be online, the opportunity to be anonymous and the chance of offline interaction.

We expect brands to act civilized all the time and I think that they can struggle with having valuable conversations when consumers are not playing by the same rules.

Brand guardians must remember that further down the path of uncivilized communities the value of peoples opinion and feedback becomes less reliable because people are not accountable to their words.

Unicorns get all the babes!

Okay, 3 quick Adspace Pioneer related updates;

1. There is some dood in Melbourne who is doing some crazy street art, is it our ol graf mate from Sydney.


2. I have been able knock one thing off the list of 10 things I want to do in Marketing before I die. My dad has always wanted to travel across the states in a Muscle Car, so for his birthday I bought him a ticket to come to US with me and drive from Chicago to LA on May 8th.



3. The full story from Boxxybabee comes out, I kinda of miss her.

Misunderstood

The problem with the written word is that it is so easy to be misunderstood. I fall into this group, whether it be my posts, twits or emails.

How do you deal with being misunderstood online? What do you do to ensure that you are not misunderstood in emails/blog posts/twits?

One thing I have started doing is using emoticons. I find them really important in helping to communicate tone maybe the 14yr IM loving Julian Cole was onto something.

7 traits of Cool Kids Online

Just like in school the cool kids start trends, Online is no different, the cool kids start global memes such as Lolcatz, to getting bizarre words on Twitter Trends #fisting or to being the most viewed on Youtube. There are some common traits that cool kids online share in common.

1. Cool kids have alot of friends
Friends are different to followers here is a great article describing the difference (HT Gav)

2. Cool kids will pick up technology really fast.
They will usually be an early adopter and understand the unspoken rules of the technology.

3. Cool kids hang out with cool kids
Cool kids will hang out in the same areas, they will help to bump friends trends. This helps to push their own memes when they need. 4chan is living proof of this.

4. Cool kids can remix
Can remix and have friends who can remix; be it words (tweets) or pictures (lolcatz) which help to carry a meme.

5. Cool kids rock at asynchronous conversation
Cool kids are really good at writing online, they are confident and can paint scenarios/stories with words/images better than your average.

6. Cool kids meet offline
Cool kids look to every opportunity to meet up with friends offline as they understand the power of connecting offline.

7. Cool kids live an online lifestyle
To be able to do all of the above you must be consistently connected, there is no 9-5 with this technology, it is constant and a part of their lives.

Why should Marketers care about the cool kids?
If I was also looking for a Community Manager for my brand; I would definitely be looking for someone who display some if not all of these traits.

If I was in the selection panel for Best Job in the World these would also be on my shortlist of traits needed.

Can you think of any other trends that cool kids online show?

The silver bullet to going viral! Friendship

This week, all I am going to talk about is friendship!

People say there is no silver bullet to going viral but there really is….it is friendship.

Friendship is different to networking/relationships because you can know someone but friendship is about going out of your way for someone.

I have done a number of things on this blogs that were along with other reasons motivated because I wanted to help my friends out.

The Samboys Chips video was not that remarkable, I think the way that all my friends (Nat, Andy, Nicole and some Twit bros) helped spread the word, really illustrated the true power of friendship.

Let them entertain: Vloggers and Disclosure

The top 12 Youtube Vlogger are entertainers;


They are like Demetri Martin, they entertain for a profession and when a brand wants to align with them it can sometimes look really good.
Such as the Martin + Microsoft = 'Clearficiation' series


They are like Hilltop Hoods, who are entertainers who have commercial deals with brands, in particular DC (they have to wear DC at every show). However, you do not hear them mention this during one of their shows.


They are peformers...They put on a show...They act.

John Laws does not act, he is seen as news source an information source.

They are definitely not like Rene Rivkin, Rene gave financial advice that people trusted. When he had a vested interest people's money was at risk.


At the end of the day in my opinion;

-Vloggers need to disclose any commercial deals. I think that it should be on their profile homepage, I don’t think it needs to be on the video.



-The best Vloggers will put their community first. If there is no fit they will not engage in commercial terms, no matter how much financial or other value they stand to gain

Mark Pollard asked me a good question yesterday;

Show me an example of a good whisper campaign?

I think you could extend this to show me an example of a good campaign using Youtube stars which is either whisper or full disclosure?

UPDATE: 12:20PM 25/02/09
I ask and they answer

Examples of Good Branded Campaigns;
I beat you and KevJumba

Fred and Zipit

Blog TV and number of famous Vloggers

Thanks Nat for the examples, if anyone has any more please share.