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eROI 2007 Online Marketing Prediction #6 of 10

November 30, 2006

6. Great Content is King. Quality content is more important now than ever before. Each of us receives dozens of email newsletters on a daily basis. There are over 100 million viewings DAILY on YouTube. One in twenty visits on the web is to a social networking site where new content is generated every second. There is a glut of content and it’s only going to get more crowded. The key point worth noting is that the few companies providing great content are HUGE winners because of all of the online and offline marketing channels that work together in a sort of crescendo effect, amplifying the messaging of well positioned brands. Word of mouth spreads so much faster than it used to through blogs, iTunes, YouTube, MySpace, websites, and online press. Fans of the TV program “Grey’s Anatomy” can convert non-believers because the content of the show is good enough to keep them once they’ve heard about it. The opposite holds true of “Snakes on a Plane” which had a huge online following, but bombed at the box office because the content sucked. Keep this in mind when strategizing and implementing your next viral marketing site or email campaign.

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 5:00 PM | Permalink

eROI 2007 Online Marketing Prediction #7 of 10

November 29, 2006

7. Email marketers will demand more strategy from their marketing agencies. From the client-side email marketer’s perspective, there are only minor differences between the top email marketing software platforms. Email marketers will demand to know more advanced strategies for their email programs by asking questions like: how does this email render in the default settings of the different email environments (AOL, Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.)? What content shows up above and below the fold on the email preview? What content and call-to-action will really resonate with my target audience? How can I be a resource and still convert click throughs into qualified leads?

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 4:57 PM | Permalink

Wieden+Kennedy Finally Goes Digital

November 26, 2006

Wieden+Kennedy headquarters in Portland, Oregon has held off entering into the interactive agency world for the past decade until now. Wieden has fervently stayed true to its core talent in TV and print advertising until its recent hiring of Carat Fusion exec, Renny Gleeson, as its global director of digital strategies. Arguably, the most talented independent, private agency in traditional mediums, WK is going to make a strong run at the online world with this new infusion of talent and business direction. WK has a lot of ground to make up to catch up with online viral marketing pioneer Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

Read the full MediaPost article

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 9:27 AM | Permalink

eROI 2007 Online Marketing Prediction #8 of 10

November 25, 2006

8. User-generated content will be a component on most new websites. Many companies are just starting to realize the great potential of websites with user-generated content that enable customers co-create with their brands. Ultimately, allowing users to post their stories through text, images, and video, helps to build community and long-term brand loyalty. In short, it works, and companies large (Diesel-U-Music) and small (Dunderdon Workspace) will employ this strategy much more frequently next year.

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 4:54 PM | Permalink

eROI 2007 Online Marketing Prediction #9 of 10

November 24, 2006

9. Viral campaign websites will have a purpose. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been forwarded hundreds of quirky sites that are experimenting with the whole viral marketing thing and that have no further purpose whatsoever. There are no calls-to-action or indications as to why these sites exist. A few examples of pointless viral sites include: Patron’s SimplyPerfect, eROI’s WearShortShorts, and the pointless but popular CareerBuilder Monk-e-Mail/. Next year will feature more substantial viral campaign sites like Philips’ ShaveEverywhere, Kettle Foods’ PassportToFlavor, and Snakes on a Plane.

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 4:50 PM | Permalink

eROI 2007 Online Marketing Prediction #10 of 10

November 23, 2006

It's Thanksgiving Day and it’s that time of year again when eROI makes its outlandish predictions for the year to come. In prior years we have given you a mix of business and personal lifestyle predictions, but this year we’re sticking to just the online marketing world. We busted out our omniscient crystal ball and this is what it told us:

Top 10 Online Marketing Predictions for 2007
10. Social networking will get more and more niche. Social Networking has blanketed the news for the past 18 months because it works. YouTube and MySpace have built loyal communities through entertaining user-generated content and great tools for communicating with other like-minded people. However, Social Networking is going NICHE. People use specific tools to connect, recommend, rate, and communicate within their niche groups. For this reason, there are many types of Social Media now and there will be five times this many by the end of next year:

B2C: MySpace, Facebook, Gaia, Friendster, Second Life
B2B: LinkedIn, Jigsaw
Search: Digg, Delicious, Wink, Technorati
Shopping: Wists, ThisNext, Woot
Expert Communities: Blogs, Wikis
Mapping: Geosearch
Video: YouTube, TurnHere, Splashcast
Images: flickr

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 4:42 PM | Permalink

Email Spreads An Inspirational Story

November 21, 2006

Sometimes the best emails are from close friends who want to share a really positive, inspirational story that they received from another friend or saw in the media. Amazingly, the video has NOT been posted on YouTube, so I couldn't embed it in this blog posting, but it is a great video on the link below. Enjoy.

"Fathers/Coaches...

Spend a few minutes and read the story below. It appeared in Atlanta's paper (AJC) today. It will only take you 5 min total and is worth it.
It will make your Friday....

After the story, go to this link to see an interview with the head coach and see a video of the play.
http://www.ajc.com/news/mplayer/m/6009

Disabled student the unlikeliest of players Banneker's Gerard Robinson lives out his dream by running the play of his life

By CURTIS BUNN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/16/06

In a noisy moment at Banneker High's homecoming pep rally, coach Benny Crane felt a tug on his sleeve. It was not a yank, but a slight pull, enough to get his attention. He turned and glanced down into the excited yet concerned eyes of Gerard Robinson.

At 5-foot-3, Robinson is shorter than most of his classmates, but his audacity and charisma elevate his stature. As Coach Crane bent over to listen, he could see Robinson's mouth quiver."

The 17-year-old had a question: Would his name be called out with all the football players?

Although Robinson was not officially part of the team, Coach Crane assured him with a nod, a smile and a hand on the shoulder. Yes.

And as the look in Robinson's eyes shifted to sheer joy, another notion entered the coach's heart. Maybe there was something even greater he could do for this unlikeliest of football players.

A mutual passion for football

Crane first encountered Robinson five years ago, while substituting at Camp Creek Middle School, and was fascinated with the kid.

Cerebral Palsy affected his gait - his legs were spindly and seemed heavy by the way he dragged them. Attention deficit disorder robbed his focus. Crane actually timed how long the young man could stay on task:
30 seconds.

Yet, Robinson had magnetism. He could engage people like few kids his age. He was captivating, funny and not the least bit sensitive to his shortcomings. He was more class entertainer than class clown. Crane left school that day thinking, What a neat kid.

Two years later, when Robinson plodded into Crane's classroom again - this time as a freshman at Banneker High in College Park - the teacher's memory clicked, and he smiled to himself. Robinson did not remember Crane, but the two would become inextricably linked through a mutual
passion: football.

Since he was 6 or 7, Robinson was drawn to the game, despite the muscle disorder that stole his coordination. Eager to play, he moved furniture in his family's College Park home to create a field on the living room carpet. A crumpled piece of paper was his football.

Becoming Banneker's team manager seemed only natural; it was his opportunity to be around the game. But he was manager mostly in name only. He was more like an adopted teammate whose energy and spirit created a fun, relaxed atmosphere. His name wasn't on the roster. He didn't have a uniform. But he offered encouragement from the sideline like any bona fide member of the team, and levity at tense moments.

A good-looking, clean-cut kid with lively eyes, Robinson became one of the most popular students. Administrators loved him because he was respectful and diligent, despite also having a mild learning disability.
His classmates embraced him because he did not show self-pity. Rather, he carried on as if one of the gang.

At the South Fulton Classic basketball tournament at Tri-Cities High last year, he left his seat with the football team during a timeout and turned the court into his personal stage, putting on a dancing exhibition that rocked the house. This was not an unusual moment; Robinson delighted in his own daring.

The students called him "Radio" after the character in the 2003 movie of the same name. That character had a similar passion for football, but far more severe disorders. Yet, Robinson didn't mind the nickname. He reveled in it.

With a deep voice that belied his youthful, hairless face, Robinson would participate in cruel sessions of "joning" or playing the dozens with classmates, accepting barbs about his legs without a trace of indignity. He'd fire back with equally humorous and personal attacks.
This - and his improved focus that allowed him to take standard classes
- helped him fit in like a newly discovered first cousin at a family reunion.

This pleased his father, Larry Robinson. A general manager of a fast-food chain, he worked long hours, making the time he spent with his son more precious. If Gerard didn't have a hang-up about his disorders, it was in part because his dad consistently ignored them.

His fatherly advice branded Gerard's psyche like a tattoo: Do not let anything stop you from what you want to achieve. Nothing. And know that I love you and I am here for you for anything, always.

For the past several months, it had not been easy for Gerard to speak of his father without being overcome by sadness. Larry Robinson was in a car accident in March and died of his injuries four days later.

Losing his Dad felt like losing some of his soul. His mom, Earlene Robinson, was his most prominent ally and authority. But Gerard understood the value of having a father, a man.

For a time, Gerard's bright light of a spirit dimmed. His mother postponed her grieving so she could keep a watchful eye on her son. When he finally returned to school, he asked for a few private moments with Coach Crane.

Coach, he said, I really want to rely on you to be a male figure in my life. I lost my father, and I feel like I need you to take that role for me.

The 32-year-old Crane was surprised, honored, moved.

A sensitive man with a firm handshake, he has no kids of own, but considers himself a father to all the boys of Banneker High.

Of course, he told Gerard. No matter what, he would be there for him.
He explained that, as a part of his team, he was under a lifetime contract.

An anxious mother

With the idea of calling out Robinson's name at the pep rally came another inspiration - to fulfill the senior's four-year plea to dress out for a game.

So, when Crane spoke at the pep rally in the gym Oct. 27, he told the crowd Radio would be in uniform the following Friday, for the final home game of the season. A huge cry filled the auditorium. Robinson nodded his head the way a cocky defensive back would after breaking up a play.

To call Robinson excited would be akin to calling fire hot. That weekend, at his job at McDonald's, he spread the news about his impending debut against Creekside. People had cheered for him all his life. Now, he had reason to cheer himself, and he did not botch the opportunity.

The Monday before the game, Coach Crane's cell phone rang during practice. The number was familiar: It was Robinson.

Coach, I'm in the store right now, buying my cleats. I just want to make sure I get the right kind. And is there anything else I need to get?

Crane could only smile in admiration. Robinson's jubilation oozed through the phone.

The next day, the excitement mounted. Robinson took his mandatory physical, received the medical permission to dress out and was both relieved and ecstatic.

His mom, meanwhile, was less than thrilled.

She did not know what to think about him being on the field among much bigger and stronger kids. But she often acquiesced to her persuasive son, and would this time, too. He had already gotten her to pay the $130 required to be on the team by emphasizing it was his last chance as a senior.

At school, word that Robinson would be in uniform on Senior Night spread through the hallways. Everyone was excited for the boy so popular he could have won the Mr. Banneker title if the ballot had listed him as "Radio" instead of Gerard Robinson.

On game day, he wore his jersey to school - No. 13. It was not an unlucky number to him. His undersized chest stuck out like a barrel.

All that Friday, he thought of football. How would he look in his uniform? Would his mom be proud? What would it feel like?

About two hours before kickoff on Nov. 3, he made his way to the locker room and started shedding his clothes. He did so slowly, as if he were savoring the experience.

The bulky shoulder pads almost tilted him over. The helmet had plenty of room for more head. And yet, Robinson felt transformed.

Like I could be undefeated, he would later recall. Like nobody could touch me. Like the king of the world. Friday night lights, baby!

Watching Robinson in uniform, Coach Crane felt like a proud father.

A banner start for Radio

As Crane gave his team some final instructions in the locker room, Robinson fidgeted. He adjusted his shoulder pads. He looked down at his new cleats. His teammates smacked his helmet.

On the field during warm-ups, he searched the stands for his mother.

Finally, just a few moments before kickoff, it was time for the team to execute the pre-game ritual of running through the large banner created by the cheerleaders. Every week, the sign held a different message for the Trojans. This time, it said: "Radio Is On The Field."

Earlene Robinson had never been to a Banneker football game before. She watched teary-eyed as the coach sent her son out on the field with the captains before kickoff.

Once the action began, Banneker was not much of a match for Creekside and its sensational quarterback. By the second quarter, Creekside was well in control. It was then that Crane felt that tug on his sleeve. It was not a yank, but a slight pull, enough to get his attention.

Robinson wanted in.

Coach, I'm ready, he said. Coach, I'm ready. I'm gonna get down for you, Coach. I can be the difference.

Crane was patient but anxious, and tried to calm his player.

I got you, dog. I got you.

He was just waiting for the right moment - even trying to create the right moment, calling timeouts so the clock wouldn't run out and he could get Robinson in.

Behind 27-0 in the fourth quarter, Crane spent several minutes waving and yelling, trying to get the attention of Creekside coach Kevin Whitley from across the field. Finally, Whitley noticed Crane, who then motioned toward Robinson. Whitley gave Crane a thumbs up - he understood
- followed by an index finger, meaning hold on.

Creekside scored a final touchdown, and a moment later, Whitley, accompanied by a referee, ran across the field.

How do you want to do it? he asked Crane.

I was thinking of throwing him a pass.

Will he catch it?

I'm not sure.

How about a run to make sure he gets his hands on the ball?

Crane agreed. The play was set.

Just then, Earlene Robinson got up from her seat to head home. She felt happy. She had seen her son in a football uniform. What could be better than that?

'You're in'

After the kickoff, Banneker had the ball on the 34-yard line. Coach Crane's heartbeat quickened. There was less than a minute left in the game. Just enough time to achieve his mission.

He did not have to search for Robinson - he was stuck to his side.

You're in, he told him.

Those were the words Robinson had dreamed of hearing for four years.
Now all he could think was, lights, camera, action.

Suddenly, the crowd in the stadium got loud, and Earlene Robinson, on her way toward the exit, looked up to see her son on the field. He moved slowly toward the huddle, his gangly gait accompanied by a symphony of cheers.

When the new player reached the huddle, quarterback Darrell Simmons looked around at teammates he considered rugged and tough - and saw tears in their eyes. He cried, too. He felt it was the nicest moment of his high school career.

Robinson was not surprised by the show of emotions from his teammates.
They have a relationship with God, he thought, and want to see me get in the game.

Robinson tried to talk, but in his excitement, his words were indecipherable. Finally, Simmons got control in the huddle and called the play: 23 lead.

Robinson took his place in the backfield, hands on knees, anxiously awaiting the snap. As Simmons turned to hand Robinson the ball, it was as if the volume was turned down in the stadium. Silence, save for the band.

Creekside defenders, clued in to the play by their coach, made token contact with Banneker players. Then they turned into spectators as Robinson headed left, through the correct opening, moving at the pace of an 18-wheeler on a steep incline. It seemed in slow motion to everyone but Robinson. He was flying.

He crossed the line of scrimmage, into the open field. The stadium was quiet still, as Robinson kept moving. With the ball tucked in his right arm, up against his chest, he veered slightly right as he approached midfield. His teammates ran behind him, yelling.

Go, Radio. Go.

They reveled in their buddy's moment. They were losing 34-0, but they felt a sense of pride. They were pulling for Robinson to go the distance, score a touchdown and follow it with one of his patented dance moves.

Robinson only wanted the ball.

Just beyond the 50-yard line, he brushed up against a teammate, teetered right, lost his balance and fell.

He did not fumble.

The crowd roared, even in the Creekside bleachers. Teammates helped Robinson off the ground. He had carried the ball 19 yards. He wanted more.

Yeah. Give it to me again, he said. I'm feeling it.

On the sideline, Coach Crane felt it, too. So much so that he called for his team to take a knee to end the game. To him, those 19 yards represented victory beyond the final score.

Earlene Robinson held her hands over her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She was proud, relieved.

After shaking hands with the Creekside team, the Banneker players continued their celebration of Radio Robinson and all that his first and only football game had inspired. They lifted him on their shoulders and carried him over in front of the band, where together they sang the school song.

The Creekside team stayed around to see it all. The coach wanted his kids to understand how blessed they were to play the game, what a privilege it was to witness Robinson's passion.

In the Banneker locker room, Crane gathered his players together and told them his mantra: that he loved them and that they should love each other, that Gerard Robinson symbolized love.

As Robinson broke down and let the tears flow, Coach Crane rubbed his back.

Your father is looking down on you now and he's proud, he told his player. Just like everyone else.

With that, Gerard Robinson slowly composed himself. He sat at his locker in uniform a few more minutes, absorbing for a little longer the feeling of being a football player.

It felt good, he thought. Like I was the big star of the game.

No one would argue with that.

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 8:35 AM | Permalink

Holiday Season: Gifts.com Personality Profiler Hits the Spot

November 19, 2006

This holiday season brings upon us the daunting task of getting a gift for your Mom, Dad, grandmom, granddad, brother, sister, nephew, neice, or friends. For each one of these people, Gifts.com created a creative question and answer online system to suggest gifts based on the intended gift recipient's personality. The fun part of this excercise is to see what your own personality is like. Are you the type of guy/gal to call the repairman or bust out the wrench and fix the plumbing yourself? Do you go to a concert or get drinks with your colleagues? Read books or watch TV? Play golf or chess? It keeps telling me I'm a "Country Clubber," when my real interests are quite different. I'd like to think I'm more of a "Mr. Field and Stream," however the gift ideas are really compelling and it's a fun way to come up with new ideas.

Try it out yourself: http://www.gifts.com/finder

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 4:13 PM | Permalink

We Can All Shoot Video

November 15, 2006

No I am not going to bang the idea that we can all shoot video. I am just going to share with you another brand that is getting into asking everyone to create an ad and upload it. With YouTube we are all now experts it seems. Or at least novices that can make some compelling stories that others will watch. Are we all voyeurs? Is it just human nature to want to watch others? Or are we creating a online community that owns the brand? Owns the content? And brands are just a way to express yourself around a feeling they emote?

I have lot of questions around what is happening with the social and video sites.

Not sure, but what I do know is the JACK in the BOX is hit a few times a week by the eROI team and I have a digitial video camera in my office. Maybe we might hit the Jackies.

http://jackinthebox.com/jackies/

Comments (0) | Posted by dylan at 2:14 PM | Permalink

New Sites in the InBox This Week

November 13, 2006

New Video Voting Site for Konami Video Games
Konami American Idol KKR

Vote for the Next Kettle Flavor
Kettle Foods Passport to Flavor
www.passporttoflavor.com

Wow. Amazing Production
The Stuntman
www.thestuntman.la

The Black Diamond
www.thomsonblackdiamond.com

Getting Creative With Consumer Generated Campaigns and Food Clothing Stains.
Stain Art
www.stainart.com

The Fifth Freedom
www.myfifthfreedom.com

Comments (0) | Posted by dylan at 9:42 AM | Permalink

Full-Page Print Nike Ad in Sunday New York Times is a Text Email

November 12, 2006

I was reading the physical, printed Sunday New York Times today and I came across a full-page advertisement in the Sports section. I initially noticed the ad because it was all yellow, but then I realized that some ad agency just copied and pasted a real email correspondence between Lance Armstrong and Scott M. (Nike). Unfortunately for me, I actually have to type all this out instead of copying and pasting, but here is an excerpt from the ad:

“From: Lance Armstrong
To: Scott M. (Nike)
Sent: Nov 5, 2006 3:32pm
Subject: Re Re: Re: Re: Idea

I’m dead.

Hardest physical thing I’ve ever done.
Try your best to make this happen.
No way I would have crossed the finish
line without the cheering. I owe them.

> From: Scott M. (Nike)
>To: Lance Armstrong
>Sent: Nov 5, 2006 3:29pm
>Subject: Re Re: Re: Re: Idea
>
>I think we can do it. I’ll let you know
>for sure. BTW, how do you feel?”

The advertisement continues the email dialogue, but the reason why it works is because it made me stop and actually read it. The content was so real and part of something most of us do every day – read and respond to email. As usual, Nike knows good marketing.

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 8:15 AM | Permalink

Social Networking is Way Bigger than YouTube + MySpace

November 9, 2006

Social Networking has blanketed the news for the past 18 months because it works. YouTube and MySpace have built loyal communities through entertaining user-generated content and great tools to communicate with other like-minded people. However, Social Networking is going NICHE. People enjoy specific tools to connect, recommend, rate, and communicate within their niche groups.

For this reason, there are many types of Social Media:

B2C: MySpace, Facebook, Gaia, Freindster, Second Life
B2B: LinkedIn, Jigsaw
Search: Digg, Delicious, Wink, Technorati
Shopping: Wists, ThisNext, Woot
Expert Communities: Blogs, Wikis
Mapping: Geosearch
Video: YouTube, TurnHere
Images: flickr

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 3:29 PM | Permalink

YesMail Gets Fined $50,717; Email Marketers Listen

November 7, 2006

YesMail, a reputable email marketer, got slapped with a big fine today. As email marketers, we need to learn how not to make these mistakes.

ComputerWorld reports:
"November 07, 2006 (IDG News Service) -- Marketer Yesmail Inc. has agreed to pay a $50,717 civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges accusing it of sending unsolicited commercial e-mail after recipients asked it to stop.

The FTC alleged that Yesmail, doing business as @Once Corp., violated federal law by continuing to send unsolicited e-mail more than 10 business days after recipients asked that the e-mail stop.

In an ironic twist, Yesmail’s spam-filtering software filtered out some unsubscribe requests from recipients as spam, resulting in Yesmail failing to honor unsubscribe requests, the FTC said. Yesmail sent thousands of e-mail messages to recipients after they requested it stop, the FTC said when announcing the settlement yesterday."

Read full article >>

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 4:30 PM | Permalink

Passport to Flavor: Best Send to Friend Email Creative I've Seen

November 1, 2006

I got an email from a friend (okay, it was from a co-worker of mine), and it struck me as the best "Send to a Friend" email creative I've seen. Well, full disclosure is that we (eROI) did the email and web creative, but sometimes it's nice to celebrate a great partnership with a client that produced a really cool website and email campaign. As you can see from the above creative, the email is from Kettle Foods which just launched its Passport to Flavor campaign today. The email creative reflects the early 1900's old-world traveller feel to it where you might find an authentic ink stamp on a postcard or even your passport as you travel abroad. The site www.PassportToFlavor.com allows the user to send a unique postcard creative for each of the five outrageous flavors.

Who ever heard of a Chocolate Potato Chip? Check it out when you get a chance and when you vote for your favorite flavor or buy the chips to taste these crazy flavors, you can be eligible to win a $4,500 travel gift certificate from REI Adventures: www.PassportToFlavor.com

Comments (0) | Posted by ryan at 6:20 AM | Permalink