The Big Ad Agencies used to be afraid of Google because they didn’t understand it, the web, or the future of advertising. When all of a sudden, advertisers started pulling money out of the media budget and spending it with Google it terrified them. So they all went and bought up “new media” shops- and still created sites that didn’t work with Google any better than, well you know those braille buttons on the drive-up ATM?
So when Google starts raiding the big agencies for top talent, their worst nightmare begins to come true: the $9 billion dollar gorilla now is quietly sneaking over from media to marketing partner.
Ogilvy N.Y.’s Berndt to Join Google
Berndt, who resigned from Ogilvy this week, will become the managing director of Google Creative Lab, according to a Google representative. In the newly created position, Berndt will lead the marketing of Google’s brand and services. He will also work with agencies to integrate Google products into campaigns.
The move comes as Google looks to expand its relationships with large brand advertisers. After initially offering only simple text links overwhelmingly geared to direct-response marketers, Google has added graphical and video ads more often used by brands.
The thing is- of all the people to hire, Google picks someone from an agency that still can’t get it’s own clients spots online in a way that customers can find them. I met Andy at the 2007 AAF National Convention- nice guy, super cool presentation of the new Fanta work- but, if you went to the Ogilvy site - or the Fanta site- or anywhere- you couldn’t find the campaign except for a lone spot posted by PSYOPS who did the animation. The big agencies have a long way to go to learn how to monetize advertising that works by earned attention instead of paid placement.
Maybe, Andy will be the new evangelist for the power of Google when used right- then again, he may be working for the dark side now… depending on your viewpoint.
One things for sure, no agency will ever have a bankroll like Google.
Apparently the folks who run broadcast networks flunked business 101. Can you imagine book publishers not selling their wares through Amazon and Borders and Barnes and Nobel at the same time? Of course not.
Sure, Networks can sell their programming direct, but, that’s not the point- especially since they will be out of business in the next three years if they don’t adapt to the new realities.
NBCU wont pull its existing content from iTunes until its current two-year deal expires in December. But in response to NBCU”s decision, Apple today said it would not make NBCs new fall TV shows available for download from iTunes.
Its a blow to both Apple and consumers. According to Apple, NBC supplied iTunes with three of its 10 best-selling TV shows last season, accounting for 30 percent of iTunes TV show sales.
It’s not about the networks anymore- it’s about delivering content to a diverse and varied and increasingly fickle audience- as efficiently as possible and monetizing it any way you can. The iTunes store is one of the most convenient online storefronts using the best technology. Most network sites have had problems with cross-platform delivery, consistent transfers and poor models for monetization. With Apple leading the market with over 70% of the portable digital devices- it’s a market that networks shouldn’t risk alienating.
The iTunes store also includes web 2.0 community functions- something that the networks have been slow to grasp. The market is moving to open source, open platforms- and all NBC is risking is ticking off their existing client base.
Stay tuned in- or should I say clicked in. This is only the beginning of the end of the Networks.
There are people out there who specialize in “Buzz Marketing” who will charge you a lot of money for what I’m about to share with you.
Doing the right thing will get you more customers than a new ad campaign.
Recently I’ve had a few very good customer experiences that went above and beyond what I expected from a manufacturer- so good, I’m going to share them with the world, and in the day of Web 2.0 when everyone can have a say, it’s a very good investment.
I’ve had two Lowel Pro-lights for a few years. I am not the original owner, I bought them on Ebay for a song- since the cords had been jury rigged by the previous owner. I had tried to contact Lowel soon after I bought them to get parts to rewire them but hadn’t heard back. I was frustrated, but the lights still worked. We had a lull in our shooting schedule and a new office manager who loves to “Get things done”- so I had her tackle the problem again.
Lowel said- send them in. Two weeks later- the lights come back with new cords- 2 piece this time, with cord wraps included. No charge! When the decision comes to buy lights again- there is no question about what brand will be at the top of my list.
Here is what they say about their warranty on the site:
About Lowel Light
In the event of a defect reported by the consumer within the applicable time period, if any, Lowel will, at its option, replace or repair the defective merchandise at no charge to the consumer for either parts or labor.
Note: the warranty on lights is only 2 years, and I’ve had these for over 4.
Another case of going above and beyond was Hans Grohe the German highend plumbing fixture company. The holders for my hand showers had cracked, and the heads had taken a few tumbles.
I was looking for just the replacements for the holders- but, instead was shipped 2 brand new shower heads complete. Hans Grohe has a lifetime warranty- and apparently stands by it. I will grant that the new heads aren’t quite as cool as the old ones, but, I’m just as clean.
The jury is still out on Zwilling JA Henckels, who promise a lifetime warranty on their fine cutlery, but seem to be confused about what lifetime means- when a handle delaminates. The knife is over 40 years old, and still is a great chef’s knife- however, the handle is coming apart. When presented with something as simple as putting 2 new composite sides back on the blade, they seemed to want to stall and pass the buck. Is it really worth it?
Detroit has turned to extended warranties as a way to compete with higher perceived quality of off-shore manufacturers. Millions are spent on touting 10 year, or lifetime powertrain warranties- yet, if the money was instead spent on making sure every owner felt that getting warranty service wouldn’t be a major battle- and that customer satisfaction really was the brand’s first priority- they’d probably be selling more cars.
Customer satisfaction may be the most overlooked buzz marketing strategy available. As these three experiences showcase how one customer can help propel your brand into the blogosophere for better or worse.
By now, every one has seen the Apple iPhone ad “Calamari” showcasing the Google maps function on the iPhone.
And, when typing in Pizza it does a great job around my home. It also works for locating the nearest Apple Store quite well. But, when typing in “Advertising Agency” nothing even close to an ad agency got a pin in Dayton. So, of course, I had to fix that. Google informs me it will take up to 4 weeks before my listing is updated (unbelievably slow in the Internet age)- but, it was incredibly easy, and the verification by phone system worked well.
If you haven’t put your business on the Google Maps page, I highly recommend doing it as soon as possible- and, if you are a Pizza place, you can even put a coupon on it for free! So, proceed to the following link and look for the “Add or Edit your business” part- make sure you are at your business phone and have a live internet connection at the same time. Google Maps
For right now, it’s cool to show up on iPhone users phones- but, soon, this will be more important than the Yellow Pages ever were. And, before you select an ad agency, that claims to be digitally literate, check out if they have a complete listing on Google Maps.
Virgil Griffith is my new hero, and should go down in history as one of the hero’s of Open Source right up there with Linus Torvalds (Linux) and Marc Andreessen (Netscape and the Mozilla codebase). In fact, if there isn’t an award for Open Source Hero’s- there is one now- and I’m bestowing it on Virgil.
Virgil devised the Wikipedia Scanner- a software program that can reveal who changes Wikipedia entries. Some of the first findings were that major corporations, as well as politicians are out there trying to smear their competition or cover up their flaws by changing and deleting info from Wikipedia for their own benefit. His software isn’t perfect, depending on IP addresses of editors being able to be linked back to the perpetrator, but, it’s a start.
Some of the marketing brand catches:
maltaStar.com
As soon as the software was launched on the internet, chaos erupted.
Among many revelations, Wikipedia Scanner reported that:
Microsoft tried to cover up the XBOX 360 failure rate
Apple edit Microsoft entries, adding more negative comments about its rival
Bill Gates revenge? Microsoft edits Apple entries, adding more negative comments about its rival
Exxon Mobil edits spillages and eco-system destruction from oil spillages article
Oil company ChevronTexaco removes informative biodiesel article and deletes a paragraph regarding fines against the company
Dell Computers deletes negative comments on customer services and removes a passage how the company outsources work to third world countries
EA Games deletes whole paragraphs of criticism about employment practices and business methods
Fox News removes all controversial topics against the network from the Fox News page
Nestle removes negative comments on its business practices from its page
DieBold, the company that controversially supplied computerised polling stations in the US elections, removes numerous paragraphs with negative comments
Walmart removes criticism of outsourcing work. The retailer also changes negative paragraphs of underpaid workforce
Sony removes harmful paragraphs against blu-ray systems
Coca Cola removes negative content about its effects
Boeing edits from “Boeing is a leading American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer” to “Boeing is the leading American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer”
MSN Search is “a major competitor to Google”. That’s what MSN added to their page
Griffith created the tool to “create minor public relations disasters for companies and organizations I dislike,” he said on his web site. He admitted that it’s impossible to be sure if the edits were made by someone working at one of the organizations, although the I.P. address reveals that they were made by someone with access to their network, he says.
Griffith came up with the idea when he “heard about Congressmen being caught for white-washing their Wikipedia pages,” he said.
“If the edit occurred during working hours, then we can reasonably assume that the person is either an agent of that company or a guest that was allowed access to their network,” he wrote.He said he believes that anonymous speech is important for open projects like Wikipedia. The online encyclopedia works fine today for “noncontroversial topics,” he said, but tools like Wikipedia Scanner can help make the site more reliable for controversial topics, he said.
While the idea of negativity about your brand may send some CEO’s into a toxic meltdown mode- the reality of the new paradigm is quite different that it was back in the stone age (before Search and the Cluetrain Manifesto)
In fact, Cluetrain Theses #12 comes to mind:
There are no secrets. The networked market knows more than companies do about their own products. And whether the news is good or bad, they tell everyone.
Corporate brand managers are loathe to admit that the best they can do now is learn how to respond properly and with grace. Denial is no longer a PR strategy. Hoping customers won’t find out about product flaws, competitors advantages or pricing inequities is a thing of the past.
The key to good brand management in the world of Web 2.0 is the same as the motto for Google: Do no evil. The companies that realize the best marketing tool is delivering the best product, best service, best price in the humblest of ways. Anything else- and you’ll be hung out to dry.
Thank Open Source Hero #1 Virgil Griffith for insuring brands behave.
Recently, I decided to take a look at the CBS show, Jericho, which was slated to be dropped, but was reinstated by fan support.
First stop was the free version of the pilot on the iTunes store. Perfect download, no problem watching and controls that actually worked. Plus I could watch it on my iPhone.
Next stop, CBS.com where I thought I’d be able to watch it on my mac. No such luck- since CBS engineered their site with the “RealPlayer” which has been referred to as one of the worst pieces of software ever. The mac plugin wasn’t even available the first time I tried. So, lucky for me, CBS was going to rerun the series in order over the summer. Tivo here I come. The second showing ended up being a fast forward through at least a half dozen episodes- and no where near as good as the seven minute Sopranos. Then, CBS skipped a week (or Tivo balked)- and I went back to the CBS site again. Somehow, I got it to stutter through a painful hour and a half viewing of a 45 minute show- complete with the same 2 commercials over and over. Then- JACKPOT- seems CBS put up another site: www.jerichorises.com which runs fine on a mac -problem solved. I’m in Jericho heaven- even though the play controls still aren’t near as good as Quicktime, and the resume doesn’t work at all.
But, here is the thing: CBS has the perfect opportunity to build a relationship with me. I’m coming back over and over to their site, to spend “quality time” with their show. They could ask as few as 1 or 2 questions in return for providing each episode on demand for free and start customizing the commercials. Right now, I get one for Gerbers baby food (I’m a single male over 40 with no intentions of breeding) and for AT&T Wireless- to whom I’m already stuck with, since I have an iPhone. Irrelevant ads, presented by the most relevant personalized delivery system.
If you are a marketer and are buying online ad delivery, you should be asking about how the message is being targeted and what kind of feedback mechanism is provided. Since I can’t fast forward through the ads easily (remember, the controls of “innertube” suck) all you are doing is annoying me, instead of having a chance to build a real relationship. In an age of earned media, that annoyance factor could actually contribute to negative brand equity- distaste for your brand from the intrusiveness and repetitiveness of your ad delivery.
Advertising online can be the most powerful tool yet, but, like all power, used without care- it can backfire royally.
I’ve had two Lowel Pro-lights for a few years. I am not the original owner, I bought them on Ebay for a song- since the cords had been jury rigged by the previous owner. I had tried to contact Lowel soon after I bought them to get parts to rewire them but hadn’t heard back. I was frustrated, but the lights still worked. We had a lull in our shooting schedule and a new office manager who loves to “Get things done”- so I had her tackle the problem again.
Another case of going above and beyond was 
The jury is still out on
