Your country needs goo! January 15, 2010
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By Eyndia
Christmas is hardly in out of our rear view mirror and ahead of us Easter is looming, with campaigns kicking in the second 2010 started.
If you’re anything like me then you probably find the retail jump from holiday-to-holiday rather depressing, but there are always exception to the rule and this is definitely one campaign that you are probably more likely to love rather than loathe.
As featured in this week’s Contagious ‘Your country needs goo!’ is the latest addition to Cadbury Creme Egg’s strategy for British Easter domination.
The campaign is effectively an online Easter egg hunt, where the call to action is the find the Creme Eggs hidden on the internet. The Facebook group provides you with the clues to help you seek out the missing eggs, each of which could potential win you a great prize.
Although the campaign idea may not seem particularly original when considering the benchmark that ‘I believe in Harvey Dent too’ set for the launch of The Dark Knight, this definitely a campaign and site to watch.
The creative and story line (presented as an online comic strip when you enter the site) is playful and could lead to some great on and offline activity. Also there are loads of cool games to play when you’re on the site! Worth checking it out!
2010: The Year Of The Mummy? January 12, 2010
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by ClareHE
I predict that 2010 is going to be an exciting year for the mummy blogger. After exploding onto the scene several years ago now, our UK mums are beginning to experience the success and limelight that their US counterparts are already enjoying and are becoming quite the sought-after target for a wide variety of brands. According to Shiny Red research, there are now 700 – 1,000 active parenting blogs in the UK – this is likely to fluctuate over the coming months with more being started, some fading out and others taking a change of direction and going more niche (in technology, green, etc).
What else are we likely to see this year in the mummy blogosphere? More vlogging (video blogging), more PRs approaching mums on Twitter (80% are already on the popular micro-blogging site) and mummy bloggers even becoming spokespeople for some brands.
Mummy blogs will also begin to become the first point of reference for reviews and brand recommendations for a lot of women, with a distinctive shift moving away from the more formal women’s online media.
So, all in all, there’s a lot going on in this space. As PR professionals, we need to embrace these changes but, most importantly, not forget the simple rules of approaching each mummy blogger: always treat each mum individually by taking the time to read her blog entries, interests and priorities; never forget how busy these mums are – don’t expect them to drop everything to review your product or even assume they will review your product; be sensitive to their needs. Like with all social media, it’s a two way conversation – one where the PR professional needs to do a lot of the listening. This way, we stand more chance of achieving the ultimate win-win situation.
Happy New Year January 7, 2010
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by ClareHe
Happy New Year to our followers! We hope you all had wonderful Christmases.
True to our namesake, I think it’s fair to say that the whole team successfully over-indulged in an assortment of chocolate, alcohol and other traditionally festive treats. As we work on several ‘green’ brands that are very much committed to sustainability and the environment, it got me thinking over the holiday just how much festive waste we throw away at this time of year – huge amounts of Christmas cards that have a shelf life of less than two weeks, virtually untouched wrapping paper, copious amounts of drink cans and food packaging to name a few…
I think it’s true to say that the majority of us are genuinely trying to improve our green living and are slowly following the Australian example of being very diligent about our recycling of household waste. A lot of this is to do with being educated on the simple ways in which we can actually achieve this – but it’s also about making the process empowering, all-inclusive and even creative and fun, especially for the younger generations. A good example of this is from across the pond where one environmentally-conscious guy has built an eco-friendly Christmas tree out of drinks cans. This has created a surprising amount of global interest online – his site has been receiving thousands of hits this Christmas (and previous) and he’s even got a considerable following on a dedicated Facebook fan page. In addition to this, he’s set up a MySpace page and YouTube channel in memory of the tree ‘building’ process…!
Granted, this is a good example of a festive gimmick. But I think it also inadvertently demonstrates how organizations, brands and individuals can engage with – and encourage – others to think green. And that it’s cool to do so – it doesn’t have to be a timely chore after all.
Same Concept – 2nd Year Running! December 15, 2009
Posted by Chocolate Communications in Family entertainment, Music, PR, Social media.Tags: Social media, x factor
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by Eyndia
Image courtesy of xfactor.itv.com
In my time working in PR, I have heard a lot of people say that ‘there is no such thing as a new idea!’ Apparently, there are only variations on old ideas???
Personally, I disagree with the statement. Yes we can get inspired by ideas but we create something that is new, innovative and leaves a lasting impression. If anything we look more at the learnings of others to create the best possible campaign we can.
But it get me thinking that it raises an interesting question about social media – Does the same idea blatantly regurgitated year on year have the same impact and effect the second time round?
After the success of last year’s campaign it would seem that the anti X-Factor community is at it again! They are trying to use social media and download popularity to muscle Joe McElderry out of the No.1 slot this Xmas.
Last year, you may recall my colleague Clare writing about the campaign which saw Alexandra Burke claim the poll position with the Facebook fuelled Jeff Buckley version of the same song take No. 2
This year, the much more aptly named Rage Against the Machine for Christmas No.1 group has chosen the classic ‘Killing in the name of’ as a subtle anti-establishment protest! But will they carry the same weight as they did last year? And if so, does this show the power of social media or does this point to a massive issue with how easily the British charts can be manipulated by anyone with an opinion and a compelling argument?
The group already has nearly 38,000 members and is steeply rising. When considering that the Jeff Buckley group only needed 50k members to reach No.2, it seems almost certain that RATM will be appearing in this year’s charts.
So, is the same idea as effective the second time around, or does it lose impact? For the most part I guess only time will tell on this one – but if these numbers are anything to go by, then I predict this will lead to a lot more questions than it will answers in 2010.
