Many people know that Curt Schilling started a video game company, partnering with legendary fantasy writer R.A. Salvatore, Spawn creator Todd MacFarlane, and Elder Scrolls: Oblivion lead designer Ken Rolston. What people might not know is that the game, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, came out today!
They found a great way to engage people on Facebook that I wanted to share. Starting back in October, they released Chapter 1 of what would grow to be a short community-generated “choose your own adventure” that runs through the game’s storyline. At the end of each chapter is a question that can be answered in a poll by readers. The next week, the story continued, based on the most popular choice in the poll, complete with accompanying screen shots.
So far, they’ve published thirteen chapters. Several hundred people participated in the poll each time, sharing their choice on their own profiles and leaving a variety of comments.
This rather simple exercise accomplished several goals. First, it got fans engaged with the Facebook profile, thus spreading the game to their like-minded networks (gamers tend to be friends with gamers). Second, it gave gamers a preview of what the game would be about – storyline is an important aspect of the entire RPG experience, and this proves that story wasn’t neglected like it is in some other games. Finally, it gave an excuse for a weekly update/reminder about the game in the months leading up to release, without being intrusive. The several hundred gamers who participated in the storyline aren’t going to forget to buy the game. I know I didn’t forget.
February 6, 2012
When TV and Internet Become One
Personally, besides Tom Brady, the best thing about Superbowl is the commercial break. It’s not about the ads in specific, it’s more about the anticipation, the surprise, the “Ohhh… that’s so clever” or “That’s so funny!” – the bliss of the uninformed. But that doesn’t happen anymore. The anticipation rush and the surprise are gone. Why? Internet and TV are becoming one. They’re interchangeable now. Integrated campaigns work. It’s a fact. And here’s how:
Unlike watching TV, people don’t just consume content on social networks, they actively share it. As television becomes more digital – in the form of sharable video clips and articles on a show’s premier, for example – social media will continue to play an increasingly important role on how consumers discover and engage with all forms of content, including and most importantly, TV. 
I’ve looked into some very interesting and relevant studies that explain a lot of what’s going on with advertising today. The first thing to consider is this:
Currently in the U.S. 290 million people own at least one TV and 232 million own a mobile phone. Seriously, how crazy is that? (It took 38 years for TV to first reach an audience of 50 million while the Internet only took 4.) Given that 43 percent of these mobile devices are smartphones, and that mobile data usage has increased 253 percent this past year, the amount of time spent interacting with content on your smartphone will quickly overwhelm the importance of Television ads. TV spots are being used not as the main advertising effort but as a support for a multimedia campaign where the main focus is distributing content across social networks. Here’s an example: JC Penny and its new CEO (ex-Apple) are being bold with new pricing and sales strategies. Their new campaign was very well rounded and when it came to their TV spot, the retail giant took their 30 seconds to intrigue people into Liking their Facebook page, because that’s where the real engagement and interaction with consumers take place. Basically, their TV spot that cost a fortune to be featured in Primetime was there just to support their main effort – social media. The beauty of it is, social media is free and effective. After all, social media buzz doesn’t only increase ratings – it drives in-store foot-traffic like no other.
To illustrate this idea very clearly, Nielsen conducted a study that shows that Americans are multitasking when it comes to multimedia. Roughly 40 percent of tablet and smartphone owners use their devices while watching TV. And what are they doing? Besides checking email and visiting Social Networking sites they’re looking up information related to the TV program, they’re looking up product information for an ad or searching for coupons or deals related to an ad they just saw. This is HUGE! Even though we might be splitting our attention between two or even three screens, what we see on TV is triggering what we do online. So why not use your very expensive 30 second TV spot to guide your consumers into something more engaging? Offering entertaining online content, be it through humor, gamification – it doesn’t matter, advertisers are storytellers and the story is being told a different way now.
The cost to place a Superbowl ad grows exponentially each year and I feel it’s only fair since the viewership of those ads aren’t limited to the game breaks anymore. The anticipation is not just munching on tortilla chips waiting for the ad to come up. Brands are on a race to see who can get more content out there about their upcoming ads. They’re feeding us with stills, teasers, behind the scenes; they’re prepping their social media grounds getting ready for the real deal to generate Tending Topics, Likes, Youtube Views, etc. With that said, while we’re all watching the game with our smartphones in hand, we’re working to solidify the memory of those brands and their healthy advertising budgets. Get your integration game on! 
February 6, 2012
Messaging 101: Don’t get lost in technology
We do a lot of messaging for various energy and technology companies – transformer manufacturers, smart grid consultants, wind energy companies, etc. One trap that we often see companies fall into when discussing messaging is to start talking only about the technology, and why it is better than their competition’s. The technology is a good starting place, and your technology’s position in the market is important, but that’s not where to finish –that’s not a message. In order to land on an effective messaging statement, you need to articulate what value the customer will receive by using your product or technology – how does your technology help them?
Here are two (made-up) statements that illustrate the difference, both for the same fictional company.
1. We sell state of the art smart meters that will wirelessly connect with any existing data management software.
2. When you upgrade to our smart meters, you don’t have to worry about the headache or expense of integrating with your systems, because we can sync with all existing software
See the difference? The first one focuses on the technology. The second focuses on a specific benefit and pain point.
February 3, 2012
Friday Candy: Food on a dog
Check out all the food on this dog! Happy Friday!
Taking matters into your own hands sometimes is the only way to get anything accomplished. Even if they are rather tiny hands. But that’s just what a bunch of fourth graders from our very own Brookline, MA have done.
These kiddiewinks were appalled enough by the trailer of The Lorax that they made a petition on Change.org to get the basic premise of the story—that of “greed, exploitation, and the consequences of environmental rapaciousness”—put back into the movie adaptation.
As you probably recall, this is not the first time Hollywood has made a complete and utter mockery of a classic Dr. Seuss tale. The upcoming pièce de barf is, unsurprisingly, one of those watered-down, feel-good, hey-everything’s-okay-in-the-end-because-he-gets-the-girl-and-isn’t-that-what-really-matters type of flicks that makes people cry in a good way. I know Hollywood makes these movies because we pay to see them, but when fourth graders are telling you something is wrong with the way society is represented in a film, well, that should be a big red flag right there.
Hey, what a great parable for the real world! Just pretend like we’re not decimating the environment, flash a lot of smoke and mirrors (“clean energy destroys jobs!”) and the problem will go away. Right? Right?!
Apparently, even fourth graders can smell bullshit. Feel free to sign the petition and tell Hollywood to cut the crap.
January 30, 2012
Intern Corner: Looking Busy
Being an intern is all about appearances. The appearance of intelligence. The appearance of competence. The appearance of caring about your appearance. But let’s be honest, you’re an intern, nobody expects you to be intelligent, competent, or even presentable. Most companies are happy when their interns even show up on Friday morning, with or without a massive hangover, fresh hickies, and their shoes on the wrong feet.
In fact, the only thing they really care about is that you’re there and look busy. Busy interns mean a thriving company, or at least that’s what your boss thinks. So take the time to make yourself appear busy. Your boss will be happy, you’ll avoid doing any actual work, and people will stop coming to you with “can you enter 900 contacts into a spreadsheet for me” or “we need 17 pizzas and 38 grande lattes for a business meeting in 5 minutes.”
Here are a few of the steps I take to always appear like I have a lot to do:
Type a lot. For people born in the stone age (read: your boss) typing means that you’re working. Even if you’re g-chatting with that girl from your Shakespeare seminar (let’s be honest, you only signed up for this class to meet girls), or writing the Facebook event description for your next toga party, your boss will think you’re working hard.
Use the word “swamped.” Here are some examples: “I’m just so swamped with all the work from the Johnson account right now,” “After Cathy left on maternity leave I’ve been so swamped with the extra work load,” and “Sorry, I can’t get you post-its from the supply cabinet, I’m really swamped.”
Finally, when in doubt, make yourself look tired, annoyed, and confused all at the same time. This is an advanced tactic, so it will need some practice, but here are a few tips: rest your head on your hand and slowly rub your temple, let out an exasperated sigh every time your boss walks past your desk, wrinkle your eyebrows and stare blankly at the computer screen, and it always helps to have a loud stapler to aggressively showcase your emotions.
Use these simple steps and you’ll reap the rich rewards that come with any successful internship: a minimal travel stipend, school credit, and (maybe) a letter of recommendation. Well, at least you won’t have to do any work.*
*unless of course you’re an intern at Captains of Industry and you get the chance to write a totally tongue in cheek blog post on your second day
January 27, 2012
Friday Candy: it’s time to tab parody
Happy Friday: Listen closely to this video. Pretty funny stuff. Do you think a big company would consider airing an ad with this voice over track?
January 26, 2012
Leveraging Your Media Assets Off
Regarding Captain Fred’s earlier post on Google’s transforming digital to analog, another lesson can be learned for content creators, especially those of the video/audio persuasion.
Sometimes, a peak inside the production can itself become another story to be told. The entire production can be an asset to be mined for additional content. For me, the behind-the-scenes action can be just as fascinating as the final deliverable.
We’ve all become accustomed to watching the EPK—the electronic press kit—in our latest Hollywood blockbuster DVD purchase, rental, stream, or download. Making-of shorts and special effects breakdowns even seem to be popping up on cable TV too.
Different aspects of the production can be highlighted depending on the target audience. For instance, a video magazine could focus on the camera equipment used, or a prop makers blog can talk more about the set design.
Peter Jackson has done the same thing recently with his Hobbit production videos. The blog posts act as extended trailers, whetting every fangeek’s appetite for a return trip to Middle Earth. One of my favorite TV shows, “Leverage,” also did a quick show ‘n’ tell with the making of one of those wide canvas slo-mo freeze-frame TNT promo shots.
January 24, 2012
Sometimes transforming digital to analog is awesome too
Leave it to Google, the most virtual company imaginable, to create a brilliantly 3 dimensional, hands-on (literally) model of what google maps can do for you. Here’s a write up from AdWeek, and a peek at the video:
What’s great about this is that it so clearly, cleanly, and fun-ly (okay, I know that isn’t a word) takes something that lives entirely within the digital world, the world of ones and zeros, and makes it as simple to follow as a children’s toy. You really connect to what Google maps is doing for you.
And here’s the takeaway – the more virtual your product or service is, the more you need to make it real, tactile, HUMAN. The world around us has changed dramatically, but we’re still wired pretty much the same as cavemen (er, cavepeople). If you can hold it in your hands, if you can see it, you can understand it. It makes an emotional connection. As marketers, that’s our job. And in this execution Google and Venables Bell have hit a homerun.
January 23, 2012
Cutting the cable TV cord
My parents, living in a remote corner of Vermont, used to fork over $70 bucks a month for their 150 cable TV channels. They had to. It was the only way to get the good shows and movies. Today, I get most of that content via the Internet, thanks to high speed wireless that’s now available even in very rural areas. $19 bucks a month for wireless, with zero cable bill. According to the most recent Deloitte survey of viewing habits, I’m far from alone: 9% of respondents have cut their cable cord, while 11% are thinking about it. This trend is going to accelerate. For advertisers, it’s one more data point that shows that interactive online marketing – driven by good content – will be THE dominant force in marketing (even more than it already is). The push towards Internet-delivered content will also likely get a major boost when Apple introduces their own TV system; you know it’s coming, right? They’re going to do for TV what the iPhone and iPad did for communications and computing, crushing other technologies and transforming how we enjoy our entertainment, and by default how we engage with advertising.
January 20, 2012
Friday Candy: Something books can do that eReaders can’t
Happy Friday, read a good book this weekend.
January 19, 2012
Sesame Seeds: the pasties of burgers
There are so many good ideas still floating around in the advertising ether, you’d have to be blind not to see that. Er, sorry blind people, I didn’t mean to leave you out. You probably get that a lot. Actually, someone is thinking of you. And they’re thinking of you in perhaps the juiciest, most delectable way possible—through dead cow patties. 
In an effort to get the word out about their braille menus, a restaurant named Wimpy, together with their ad agency, made 15 burgers with sesame seeds on the buns which spelled out messages in braille. These burgers were offered to 15 blind patrons, and the whole shebang was filmed, resulting in the requisite INSTANT VIDEO SENSATION SWEEPING THE NATION! Because of 15 special burgers, 800,000 people now know about Wimpy’s braille menu.
Wimpy’s did a lot of things right: they (presumably) named the restaurant after what may be the most OG hamburger-loving character of all time, they targeted their audience and appealed to them in a meaningful (and memorable) way, and they didn’t spend a whole lot of money to get the message across. And they undoubtedly changed the way a lot of people look at a small and largely inconsequential food product. (Really, what business do sesame seeds have being on all burger buns all the time? So the buns don’t look too naked? Sesame seeds are the pasties of the fast food world.)
