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Tempur-Pedic Bear advert
Wednesday, 22nd May 2013 at 6:01pm
An advert for Tempur-Pedic mattresses from America has nailed the concept that Snickers has been working on in their current campaign.Without adding much more this clever ad really has you guessing and is worth a watch.
Take a look below and let us know what you think.
Tagged Tempur-Pedic, advertising, marketing, video, Snickers
The colours of marketing
Wednesday, 22nd May 2013 at 3:36pm
When branding a company or product a lot of thought needs to go into the colour used as it has been proven that certain colours provoke certain psychological responses.For example, most fast-food chains use red to provoke hunger, whilst luxury brands will tend to use black, gold, silver or white to convey a feeling of sophistication.
These and other reactions to different colours are highlighted by the infographic to the right.
Featured on PR Daily, the infographic was produced by CertaPro Painters, possibly a marketing ploy of their own.Tagged CertaPro Painters, PR Daily, Marketing, colours, branding, psychology, emotional response
Australia's emergency 'Softstop' sign system
Wednesday, 22nd May 2013 at 1:19pm
Getting people to notice road signs can be difficult, especially on busy commuter route.In Australia the government is trying to tackle this head on, as they have experienced problems from people ignoring warning signs when entering a tunnel in which there was a fire.
As a possible solution, the 'softstop' sign was created. A sign made from water and light it was brought to fruition by an R&D programme that used technology from Laservision, a creative technology firm that designs architectural lighting, permanent attractions and special events primarily for the entertainment industry, along with pump manufacturer Grundfos.
The combination of the two allows for a sign that appears directly in front of the car, making it difficult not to spot.
Watch it in action below.
Tagged Innovation, technology, design, Laservision, Grundfos, road safety, safestop
Pop-up garden along the Thames
Wednesday, 22nd May 2013 at 11:20am
The Design Museum has opened a pop-up garden in 'The Tank' outside the museum along the Thames. The garden is a joint venture with Swiss design company Vitra.The garden, with its overgrow grass, features designs from some of the biggest names such as Charles and Ray Eames, Jasper Morrison, Jay Osgerby and Verner Panton. It also provides a space for visitors to sit and enjoy the area and sights.
All the pieces featured are also on sale at the museum shop or online here.Tagged Design, furniture, pop up, Thames, Design Museum, Vitra
Mirare Maze Folly at Clerkenwell Design Week
Wednesday, 22nd May 2013 at 9:56am
This week is Clerkenwell Design Week, running from 21st to 23rd May. We have been sent this wonderful piece of work that is featured in the event, designed by Mobile Studio.
Called Mirare Maze Folly, the piece reinvents the classic garden maze, with walls that are made entirely of clear acrylic and uses plays on light and reflection.
The maze is a new addition to Mobile Studio's family of modular systems offering infinite size and configuration, retaining the idea of permeability and sitting almost like a ghost folly within the design festival.
Find out more about the maze and the design week here.Tagged Clerkenwell Design Week, Design, innovation, Mobile Studio
After the games photo series
Wednesday, 22nd May 2013 at 9:26am
In an insightful project, io9 has procured a series of photographs documenting what has happened to the buildings used in past Olympic Games. The series focuses on the structures that have gone unused and derelict, including some from recent games in Athens and Beijing.
Take a look at the full collection here.Tagged Photography, legacy, Olympic Games, io9, Athens, Beijing
New Audi ad goes where no advert has gone before
Friday, 17th May 2013 at 2:31pm
In a new advert Audi has brought together two actors who have played the same character. Both Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto have played Spock in the Star Trek movies, with Nimoy portraying the character in the original series and movies and Quinto taking the reigns for the new 'rebooted' movies.
So it comes as no surprise that Audi is asking the question, which Spock is better? In the advert we see the two playing chess online, then a new challenge is laid down.
The commercial is comical, showcasing their latest car, but drawing on some past achievements of Nimoy with an interesting ending.
Created by the same team that produced the viral dollar shave club commercial, Paulilu and agency PMK*BNC.
Watch it below.
How To Manage your brand online
Friday, 17th May 2013 at 8:01am
Brand reputation is the collective experience of those who work for or deal with an organisation or company; it’s not just about customer service. By Samantha Dawe, Director at The Think TankThe value of your company and products’ reputation should not be underestimated. Reputation should be treated as an asset. Reputation is everyone’s responsibility. A good reputation buys you the benefit of the doubt when things go wrong.
The toughest lesson is to learn that sometimes it’s not what has happened that is the issue – it’s what people think has happened. Perception is everything.
What is an issue that can affect an organisation’s reputation?
“A condition or event, internal or external to the organisation, that if it continues will have a significant effect on the functioning or performance of the organisation or on its future interests”.
Potential issues
- Staff dispute
- Shortage of stock
- Supplier goes out of business
- Negative comments published online
- Computer virus
- Change in working hours for staff
- Health and Safety
Online
Sign up to relevant Google alerts around your organisation’s name. If appropriate use other software available that will help you monitor mentions online. Be prepared to respond to comments if needed but you must be straightforward about who you are and never let emotional language influence what you are saying.
Dialogue
Do you know who your organisation’s stakeholders are? If not, find out. Stakeholder groups can include employees, clients/customers, opinion formers such as trade associations and professional bodies, your local community, investors in your organisation and key media who will act as commentators on what you are doing.
Don’t wait until there is a problem to engage with people; be proactive wherever you can. This also means getting together with colleagues in other departments to share and help identify potential causes for concern, even if an issue does not actually materialise.
You can gather information to help identify and manage risks via:
- Staff surveys
- Industrial relations
- Customers’ feedback
- Product development teams
- Suppliers
- HR and Legal teams
- Health and Safety audits
Be prepared
Think about developing a crisis plan – you may need to get in expert external help. At least have a record of people/agencies that can help you if needed.
What threats can you anticipate? What do you know based on past experience? Do you know how to handle journalists, or who is the nominated person in your organisation that looks after this? This all goes back to having regular dialogue with your colleagues in other departments too – not just when the problem has happened.
Five core tips to get you started:
1. How much access during work time do your employees have to engage with social media and company data?
Blocking access to the internet or certain sites is often seen as the domain of the IT manager, but in today’s workplace this goes beyond merely the computer at your desk.In our networked environment people can access content and store information and data via their phone, tablet or laptop at any time of day. Therefore the rules are changing and your organisation needs to adapt.Expert Jamie Claret (www.amazingsupport.co.uk) suggests for starters you need think about:Good antivirus softwareSimple blocking systemsAdvanced blocking and monitoringPreventing sensitive data leaving your businessThe impact data leakage and wasted time during work hours versus empowering staff with access to these sources.
2. Does your organisation have a clear social media policy?
Social media encompasses a broad range of online activities, all of which can have a marked impact on the credibility, perceptions and awareness of an organisation. Outside the workplace rights to privacy and free speech can protect online activity conducted in someone’s personal social network with that person’s personal email address. However, the inevitable connections that can and are made with someone’s workplace can blur the boundaries. What is your organisation’s policy on this?
3. Have these policies been communicated to all staff?
Are they part of your induction programme?Your policy and procedures need to be communicated – don’t just rely on a document that sits in the drawer. Building this into your employee induction programme or at a team update meeting brings this to the forefront of people’s minds.Are your employees aware of the potential negative impact that online comments can have? Where social media interaction is not used exclusively for business, it is important to provide reasonable guidelines on online behaviour if any reference is made to the workplace. Furthermore you may need to draw attention to matters regarding confidentiality as they relate to your organisation or business, and how this can also cover photos or images posted online for example.
4. Are you aware of how other stakeholders might be looking at your organisation through social media?
Media management is likely to rest with either an external agency or your in-house communications team, or for smaller enterprises with a nominated employee or manager. The press have increasingly turned to social media channels not only regarding breaking news, but also to uncover more intimate details about an organisation.This can also be true of any stakeholders. And content posted online is hard to have removed… therefore you need to be as aware of what is being said about the organisation online, as others will be. Do you have any mechanisms in place to facilitate this?
5. Are you ready to act if something potentially negative happens?
You need to have a contingency plan; whether it’s customers commenting on a faulty product or poor service, or a disgruntled employee out to stir up some reactions or actually carrying out some form of deception. How will you react? Who needs to be aware of a problem as and when it occurs and importantly who should be tasked with sorting it out? Do you have an issues management team and plan? Does this plan map onto the online world?Tagged B2B, Marketing, PR, How To, Brand, Online, reputation, manage, public relations
New York + London photo series
Thursday, 16th May 2013 at 2:37pm
Award-winning photojournalist Daniella Zalcman has released an incredible series of photographs called New York + London.The series was created as a way to connect the time she spent in New York with her new home London. The series was released on Instagram using a set of photos she took of New York on her iPhone during her last month in the city, she then took the same number upon arrival in London. She then used software on her phone to carefully overlap the images, created a merged image of the two cities.
The full collection can be seen on Yatzer here. Zalcman also has a Kickstarter to get the photographs published as a book here.Tagged Photography, creative, buildings, Daniella Zalcman, Instagram, New York, London, iPhone, Kickstarter
The best in Neon
Thursday, 16th May 2013 at 9:33am
London-based light artist Chris Bracey is currently displaying his works in his first solo exhibition at Scream Gallery in London titled 'I've looked up to heaven and been down to hell'.
The artist, who learnt his trade from his father, has manipulated his lights into incredible designs using themes which mix religious iconography, retro fairground bulbs and neon advertising styles.
Bracey has also provided dramatic installations for films such as Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Batman films.
Many of Bracey’s works are self-produced neons, referencing popular culture – “Shine A Light in the Darkness of Your Soul” was written by Martin Gore from Depeche Mode and “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” is from a song by The Smiths.
His work also draws upon iconic imagery such as tattoo designs and the sights of Las Vegas and Soho, London.
The exhibition is on display until the 1st June 2013.
Now being a social influencer can get you into airport lounges
Wednesday, 15th May 2013 at 4:36pm
American Airlines has rolled out a new perk for social media users, access to their Admirals Club lounges, regardless whether you are flying with them or not.
To gain a one-day pass for the club, you need to have a Klout score of 55. What does this mean? Klout is a tool that measures your usage and engagement on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
The perk includes almost 40 lounges across the world including airports in San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo and London.
With others already signed up to Klout Perks including Sony, Nike, Microsoft, Disney, Audi and Gilt, this is a major push by the social measurement tool.
A clever development, but one can't help thinking that social influencers may see through it, regardless of whether they take advantage of it or not.
Strange Windows 8 videos found
Wednesday, 15th May 2013 at 3:01pm
A collection of strange adverts promoting Windows 8 have emerged on the Internet. The videos, called 'Training Camp', are meant to highlight the capabilities and features of the Operating System.The videos, which were originally made for the Asian market, first appeared on Microsoft's general YouTube channel by mistake, but now are openly being shared.
Watch the unusual series below.
Tagged WIndows 8, Microsoft, YouTube, Videos, Advertising, marketing, unusual
Google takes you back in time
Wednesday, 15th May 2013 at 12:01pm
Google has been working with the U.S. Geological Society and NASA to produce some amazing time lapse images of our planet.
Collating images from over 40 years of Landsat satellite footage, the search engine has produced several timelapse videos, that show how the world has changed from 1984 to 2012, as seen from the sky.
They map out several major changes to the planet, from the Shrinking of the Amazon forest to the growth of Las Vegas. The project was also partnered with Time Magazine, for their Timelapse project.
You can read more on the Google Blog, and see the timelapse here.
Nissan's self healing paint
Wednesday, 15th May 2013 at 9:52am
In a clever marketing campaign Nissan has released a special advert for those that read the news on their tablets. The ad itself is for their 'self healing' paint, which recovers from light scratches to look as good as new.The advert, created by TBWA/G1 Paris, creates scratches in the paintwork of the car as users try to swipe through the ad, which then repair themselves.
Very clever use of the swipe motion that people use whilst browsing to highlight another innovation.
Watch the ad in action below.
Tagged Nissan, advertising, marketing, innovation, creative, video, ad, film, advert
Get personalised weather reports for your garden
Monday, 13th May 2013 at 9:17am
IKEA is continuing their campaign to get people to use their gardens more, following on from their interesting Gnome ad.The Swedish furniture company has this time sent out digital and direct mailers to customers, giving them a weather report for their garden over the recent Bank Holiday weekend.
The mailer, created by LIDA, was sent out to the 900,000 IKEA Family loyalty customers, encouraging them to make the most of their gardens, weather permitting.
There is also an online invite system so that IKEA Family members can create fun, bespoke weather reports with the help of its weatherman, Harry Caine, to encourage friends and family to visit.
The campaign could work well, with its level of humour and personalisation, coupled with the unpredictable weather we face in Britain.Tagged IKEA, LIDA, weather, direct mailer, digital mailer, personalised, marketing
Carphone Warehouse pranks customers with competition
Friday, 10th May 2013 at 3:27pm
Carphone Warehouse has recently set up a competition in their Oxford Street store to promote the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4.
They set up a promotional display including Samsung's latest phone, encouraging customers to answer it when it rang to win an instant prize, claiming "Everyone Wins!".
The trick was that the phone calls are made by famous 'Fonejacker' comedian Kayvan Novak.
See what happended in the video below.
Whitepaper - PR in a changing media landscape
Friday, 10th May 2013 at 11:31am
As part of The Think Tank's sponsorship of B2B Marketing's Knowledge Bank PR Channel, our PR Director Samantha Dawe has produced a Whitepaper titled 'PR in a changing media landscape'.
The Whitepaper looks at the need for a new mindset in a changing media world. Many commentators have spoken about the basic model for media and marketing being broken. While media fragmentation is seen as a challenge, an expanding range of media options is also an opportunity.
The Whitepaper is free to download either from the B2B Marketing web site or by clicking the link below:
PR in a changing media landscape.pdf (254 kb)
Target builds giant dolls house in station
Thursday, 9th May 2013 at 1:30pm
In an experiential stunt of the grandest of scales, American retailer Target built a life-size dolls house in the middle of Grand Central Station in New York.The installation, which was created by Deutsch Los Angeles, is a showcase of their Threshold home décor line and features between 3,500 and 4,000 products, with staff on hand for demonstrations and help.
The dolls house was built in just 54 hours by fitting together interlocking 4-by-8 panels creating a 1600-square-foot open-plan house, as well as a patio and lawn area. This space allows Target to show-off their latest lines in their entirety, which would not be possible to do in stores, and will give some great exposure with over 500,000 people visiting the station every day.
You can find out more about the installation at Ad Age here.Tagged Target, Grand Central, New York, Threshold, Deutsch, Marketing, experiential, stunt, interiors, furniture
The 26 most annoying things about working in an office
Thursday, 9th May 2013 at 9:17am
To almost brighten up your day, Buzzfeed UK has compiled a list of the 26 most annoying things about working in an office.The list spoke to us at The Think Tank so much that we had to share it with you.
Buzzfeed built the list from this BBC article and this thread on Facebook.
Some of our 'favourite' points are:
- People leaving the kitchen in a mess
- Endless Birthday whip-rounds (and when it's your turn)
- Stupid Buzzwords
Take a look at the full list here, and let us know which speaks to you the most.Tagged Funny, office work, Buzzfeed, list, BBC, Facebook, survey
Ad turns magazines into WiFi hotspots
Wednesday, 8th May 2013 at 8:54am
In a recent issue of Forbes magazine Microsoft ran an ad about their latest product, Office 365. In a limited number of magazines there was a surprise for the reader, a WiFi hotspot, courtesy of T-Mobile.The ad contained a wireless router that would provide 15 days of free WiFi, the router would last for two to three hours per battery charge.
The premise is that Office 365 is a use-anywhere version of Microsoft's Office software, allowing people to work on documents where-ever they are.
A clever but costly stunt.Tagged Microsoft, Office 365, T-Mobile, WiFi, Forbes, advertising, creative, innovative
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Soap Box
- How will the new EU Directive on Internet Privacy affect your web site?
- Dispelling the myths of Social Media
- Increased Return on Investment from Centralised Integrated Marketing
- Putting PR in the Communications Mix
- Making an Impact Face to Face
- Marketing Through Event and Exhibitions in a Recession
- Intelligent Marketing When Times are Tough