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Filtered by Date 2011.03  :  Reset
Christy Belden ON 3.31.2011

How will Google +1 Affect Search Ads?

Google has released +1 — a sharing/recommendation feature within their search results. The goal is to harness the power of social networking and provide greater relevancy to your results pages.

Not only is this rolling out for organic search, but it will also appear in paid search as well. Users will be able to like/recommend paid search ads. Google insists, however, that +1 will not affect Quality Score and current bidding strategies.

Google’s Ad Innovations blog states you can use the +1 as a pre-qualifier on your search ads and improve your ROI on your ad spend. The +1 could definitely alter CTRs on paid search campaigns.

The idea of liking/sharing content is nothing new on the search side. However, the liking/sharing of ads (other than long form video and Super Bowl ads) is an interesting introduction to a typically text-only ad format. With this move, I anticipate future enhancements to paid search ads.

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Behind the Scenes with LFI and stalkTALK: Social Media Push

 On March 30, LeapFrog Interactive announced its partnership with stalkTALK, a new comedy series. LFI is charged with creating strategy for and implementing stalkTALK social media properties. This gesture of support for the Arts, the community, and all things that push boundaries, is the first exciting step into a new realm of possibilities.

 StalkTALK’s first episode launched Wednesday morning, drawing more than 600 views on YouTube.

Over the last week, the Media + Marketing team at LeapFrog Interactive has been pushing the stalkTALK trailer and Wednesday’s launch via various social media channels. The trailer was uploaded to Facebook, MySpace, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Funny or Die and Metacafe. The interaction between the stalker characters also began via Twitter, and each character has started to attract followers associated with their personality and characteristics. Photos of the stalkers are being posted daily via Facebook and MySpace to keep fans and friends engaged.

Equipped with her social media expertise, Emily Van Winkle has been hard at work engaging the stalkers via their Twitter profiles: Drew Walker, Hermes Rafferty, Tom Balsac, Ashley Dulworth, Flo Mueller and Bobby Fitzgerald, as well as engaging with followers of stalkTALKtv.

As a digital marketing agency, LeapFrog understands the importance of using social media to engage with followers and leading industry experts — both within digital media as well as specific to our clients. For this reason, Christy Belden, VP of Media + Marketing, reached out to Women & Hollywood bloggers and followers to follow stalkTALKtv and view the pilot episode. This reach also allowed Christy to play up Rachel Helson, creator + writer, and Wendelin von Schroder, producer, as women excelling in the film industry.

The “big ideas” to move stalkTALK to viral status through multiple digital media channels continues at LFI. Keep following our blog to see what else rolls out.

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The Digital Experience: Search for the Perfect Location

Last week, I introduced Homer, LeapFrog Interactive’s digital out of home (DOOH) wall. LFI continues preparation for testing the DOOH experience. While the wall stands ready for testing, Emily Carroll and Christy Belden are on the search for the perfect location to reveal the DOOH experience in downtown Cincinnati.

Factors for the perfect location:

            + Downtown area – popularity of location, lots of foot traffic

+ Open window space – specific amount of space needed because of the type of interaction we want to have and the story we want to tell

+ Orientation of window space – windows without curvature or direct sunlight

+ Electrical setup – we will need ample outlets and a fairly flexible electrical outlet placement set up in order to power all of the tech components we need

+ Cost to rent/lease the space

 

Emily and Christy used Google Maps to view eight potential properties. Out of those eight, two met most or all of the preferred factors for a successful DOOH experience. It looks like the search for the perfect location will continue as Christy and Emily explore more potential options and then make their way to Cincinnati to see the options, up-close and in person.

 

(Contributed by Brittany Burdoine-Lewis)

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Team LFI ON 3.28.2011

What I Wish I Would’ve Known: Website Design, SEO and Analysis

This is my third entry in a four-part series discussing what I wish someone had told me about the wild world of interactive marketing.

Over that last few weeks, I have shared with you my thoughts about what I wish someone would’ve told me about the wild world of interactive marketing in email campaigns and innovative marketing tools when I took a position on the client side of marketing. Website development can be tricky but it creates a strong company and brand presence online for any business. It’s important to understand the best practices for website design — and building and reporting are vital aspects that may be overlooked without enlisting the expertise of a web professional. Today I share with you what I wish I had known about building all the makings of a great website and understanding its ROI.

So, you built a site? Great and congrats; however, the work is only beginning. It is critical to hire a true professional to not only design your site, but also put in place an SEO and analytics program. If you don’t do these things up front, your site could flop because it’s not designed in a manner that works with how people search for your services or products. It is also critical to keep examining search engine optimization efforts and to also conduct analytics each month. Know which pages your customers are going to and see if they’re really going where you want them to go. Conducting in-depth analytics on a site is fascinating. I would be willing to bet that you will discover trends, facts and figures that you would’ve never predicted. Also, don’t forget to actually do something with the findings. One last piece of advice: if a page isn’t working, change the creative or functionality until it does work.

 

(Contributed by Ashli Worden)

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Christy Belden ON 3.25.2011

Mobile Search is Expanding Rapidly

Mobile search is changing, and it is changing fast. Several companies are performing currently mobile research and the findings are surprising and even counter-intuitive. Search Engine Land provides a detailed list of the findings but I have summarized them here.

+      Mobile Search occurs at home in the evening, on the weekends, while running errands and watching TV

+       + 66% of people mobile search while watching TV

+       + 45% of people mobile search while using a computer

+       + 32% use mobile search more than search on the computer

+       + Almost half use mobile search more than 20 times in a month

+       + Most mobile searchers are satisfied with their mobile search experience

+       + Smartphone penetration is a little over 30%

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Behind the Scenes with LFI + StalkTALK: Big Ideas

StalkTALK TV’s first episode will launch via YouTube and StalkTALK.tv on Wednesday, March 30, and it will continue for eight additional weeks. StalkTALK’s partnership with LeapFrog Interactive began when Maury Hill, VP of Business Development, met Jan Helson at a Paul Hornung Award function. Jan shared with Maury that her daughter, Rachel Helson, had created an online comedy series: StalkTALK. Maury brought the idea back to LFI’s Media + Marketing team where ideas and excitement started flowing.

LFI’s Big Ideas

Brainstorming began at LFI with Emily Van Winkle, Communications + PR, leading the charge. Big, out of the box ideas, including pitching to late night comedians, viral word of mouth among college students, creating a PostSecret submission in a non-marketing/advertising way, and promoting the show via college-targeted websites — including funnyordie.com and collegehumor.com — were presented to the client. Rachel and Jan were hooked and even offered more big ideas to push the episodes to their audience — talk about collaboration with a client!

Emily, client-focused and committed as usual, met with Rachel for three hours to gain an understanding and perspective of each character. This allowed Emily to develop complete character profiles and will allow her to create dynamic and interactive conversations among the characters via their Twitter accounts.

With the contract signed, Emily set out to create character profiles, unique to each stalker on Twitter and a StalkTALK Facebook page to keep the audience up to date on all things StalkTALK.

 

StalkTALK Stalkers

Bobby Fitzgerald

Presidential Candidate. Ann Coulter is my future wife. I love America.

Drew Walker

Nobody is as awesome as the great Chuck Norris. When Chuck Norris runs, he goes back in time. Don’t even try to tell me you can do that.

Hermes Rafferty

Hi! My name is Hermes, and Paul Reubens is my father. I love bubbles, and bowties and my bicycle.

Tom Balsac

Just call me “The Sac.”

Florence Mueller (Flo)

I’m a successful Jewish screenwriter, and winner of multiple Relative’s Choice Awards. My idol is Larry David.

Ashley Dulworth

I’m best friends with Lindsay Lohan! My favs: shopping, mani/pedis, cleavage-catching necklaces, and MEN! Mmm, men!

What’s Next

Emily is preparing to pitch the show and the stalker stories to the Huffington Post comedy writers — one of whom happens to be Larry David, a stalkee of the show.

The overall goal moving forward is, of course, to get as many show views as possible, but at the same time, it’s important to showc

ase the power of big ideas and out of the box thinking. As Emily says, “It’s about showcasing

the power of digital and social media.” LeapFrog Interactive is proud to collaborate and partner with StalkTALK to showcase the arts and creativity in an unconventional, interactive way.

Keep an eye out for upcoming episodes on StalkTALK.tv and YouTube and follow the stalkers on Twitter to stay updated on their “stalking” activities. And follow our blog to get the latest on what new digital avenues and out of the box arenas LFI is exploring.

 

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The Digital Experience: Making Way for DOOH Testing

Earlier in March, LFI shifted its office space to accommodate creating a digital out of home (DOOH) testing area in preparation for launching a DOOH project for a client’s campaign. Our blue wall, affectionately named Homer, now sits where two Client Services team members did previously. Homer is ready for the DOOH testing to begin!

Homer at LFI Homer

The “etching materials” have been ordered and should be installed on Homer on this week. Keep a look out — I’ll have pictures (and maybe even a video) up of the installation.

The DOOH experience at LFI will be chronicled through The Digital Experience blog series, giving you an inside look at the dedication LFI gives its clients, as well as the talent in our office to create such unique and fun DOOH experiences.

And, on a side note, Homer transforms nicely into a big screen TV for March Madness. :)

 Homer showcasing March Madness

 

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Team LFI ON 3.22.2011

It’s Only Logical to be Part of the Magic

Yep, I’m corny. And cheesy. And goofy. But this blog isn’t about me. It’s about the latest Logic + Magic magazine our agency put out this month.

A hot topic in the past few months has been Media Convergence, along with what it means, how to apply it, and is it really here — and this edition is dedicated to covering this topic from many different angles.

One of the main articles, “For the Times They are a-Changin’” by Keith Adams, states “embracing media convergence with open arms is the way to go.” And while the great Bob Dylan probably didn’t think he would ever be quoted in reference to media convergence, it is the perfect fit in Keith’s article.

Christy Belden’s article, “The Convergence Culture and Its Effects on You and Me,” addresses the daunting boundaries of when people have consumed media in the past and how to make your change manageable and successful.

If you aren’t signed up to receive Logic + Magic, you can enroll here. And since we’re nice, it’s free.

 

[Contributed by Emily Van Winkle]

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Team LFI ON 3.18.2011

LeapFrog Interactive to Present on Media Convergence

Christy Belden, the vice president of Media + Marketing at LeapFrog Interactive, will present Media Convergence in a Digital World on March 23, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. Her presentation is part of the Louisville AdFed’s professional development series. The presentation will be held at the AdFed office, 200 Distillery Commons, Louisville Ky.  

Belden’s presentation will explore the convergence of information across platforms, including discussion of the latest innovation for broadcasting marketing messages to target audiences. Belden will discuss the theory of media convergence and how new technologies are shaping audience expectation. She will also speak about the evolving behaviors for media consumption, best practices and benefits of utilizing multiple digital technologies to broadcast marketing messages.

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Team LFI ON 3.17.2011

Visibility Magazine Publishes LFI Article

An article by Christy Belden, VP of Marketing & Media, and Scott Million, VP of Research + Analytics, was published in the Spring 2011 issue of Visibility Magazine. Their article, User Experience and Information Architecture for the Search Marketer, focuses on the reasons why search marketers need to understand how and why a user searches, as well as developing a successful way to measure user experience. Christy and Scott examine how and why information architecture and SEO need to be aligned for success, as well as developing a website optimized for user experience.

“...Search engine marketers are now challenged with driving conversions. This requires the search marketer to not only understand what drives consumers to search but also what consumers are looking for when they reach the website.…”

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Team LFI ON 3.17.2011

Flash Mob Fever

According to Wikipedia (yes, my Bellarmine University professors would probably smack me), a flash mob (or flashmob) is a term coined in 2003 to denote a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment and/or satire. Flash mobs are organized via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails.

In November 2010, an episode of Modern Family featured a flash mob. Ever since that day, I wanted to participant in a flash mob. I can sing. I can act. I am a performer at heart.

I am also a natural born leader with a marketing mentality and wicked organizational skills. After a tiring search for leads on Louisville groups interested in forming a flash mob, I decided maybe I should start my own. So I did. We call ourselves "The Flash Mobsters of Louisville." The term Flash Mobster was created in the spur of the moment and used as a title to a mix CD I made for a friend. It totally made sense for the group and I went with it.

With the help of an amazing team of people who choreographed and taught the routine, we pulled off the biggest dancing flash mob in Louisville's history last night in front of Greater Louisville Inc's Annual Meeting, at the KFC Yum! Center in Downtown Louisville.

Over a period of 6 weeks, over 200 people learned the dance and attended rehearsals. LeapFrog Interactive sponsored t-shirts for the entire group and, with the help of Urban Corps Promotions, the Downtown hotspot known as PRIME Lounge threw the Flash Mobsters an after-party.

Our surprise performance at the event was "entertainment" but there is a distinct marketing value associated with flash mobs. They're visually stimulating and tend to go viral very quickly on YouTube - perhaps it's the element of surprise or simply that people love to watch other people sing and dance live. Whatever the case may be, having your brand associated with something so viral is a fantastic thing.

I hope you enjoy what we were able to accomplish. And if you'd like to learn more about how the Flash Mobsters of Louisville came to be, check out my blog chronicling the coordination experience: http://flashmoboflou.tumblr.com/

 

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Team LFI ON 3.16.2011

Market Research Faux Pas: 5 Examples of Being Lost in Translations

In the fields of marketing and advertising, ignorance is not bliss — it’s expensive. There’s nothing worse than spending massive amounts of advertising dollars on a campaign or product launch only to cancel the campaign or pull the product — not to mention the PR nightmares that ensue afterward.

Recently, our team engaged in a discussion about some of the craziest market research “oopsies” — specifically ones that involve language barriers and meanings that are lost in translation — that resulted in major advertising FAILS.

**WARNING: This blog features content suitable only for adults! The opinions of this blogger do not represent the opinions of LeapFrog Interactive.**

 

#1: In the mid-1990s, Reebok creative executives came up with the perfect name for their newest line of women’s running shoe: INCUBUS. Unfortunately, the word “Incubus” is used to describe a mythical demon that fornicates with women in their sleep. Whoops!

Reebok Incubus 

#2: In 2003, Irish Mist Liqueur introduced its delicious brand in Germany. The only problem was that consumers there used the term “mist” as slang for excrement/manure. Nicht gut!

Irish Mist whiskey 

#3: In the late-1980s, Kentucky Fried Chicken moved its “finger lickin’ good” brand to Beijing, China. There were no traditional American fast-food restaurants on the mainland so it seemed like a great gig for them … except their ad slogan, when translated into Chinese characters, read “Eat Your Fingers Off.” Ouch!

KFC Finger Lickin' Good 

#4: In 1991, Locum, a Swedish medical company, sent Christmas cards to all of their customers. Their logo treatment included lowercase lettering and a heart in place of the “o.” When the cards were sent to Americans, the appearance of their logo appeared to represent a much different message than intended. Fail!

Loucm, a Swedish Medical company, logo faux pas. 

#5: In 1977-78, Braniff Airlines, partnered with American Airlines, launched an advertising campaign to promote their new leather first-class seating, with the slogan “Fly in Leather.” However, upon launch in Mexico, they (embarrassingly) mistranslated their slogan into the Spanish equivalency of “Fly Naked” (“Vuela en Cueros”). No bueno!

Brandiff Airlines "Fly in Leather" 

Some people debate that these blunders were semi-purposeful in an effort to create buzz and draw attention to the brands. While that theory is unlikely for everyone except Braniff/American Airlines, these are several reasons why market research should be conducted before launching international advertising campaigns.

As Americans, we constantly develop strange slang terms or experience the effects of innuendo-filled terminology — but, as marketers and advertisers, it’s better to be safe than sorry … and without a job!

 

[Post contributed by Emily Carroll]

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Team LFI ON 3.14.2011

What I Wish I Would’ve Known: Innovative Marketing Tools

This is my second entry in a four-part series discussing what I wish someone had told me about the wild world of interactive marketing.

During my time working in internal marketing for a corporate company, I successfully achieved many challenges, but with a strong background in traditional marketing I lacked the expertise in non-traditional marketing tactics such as email marketing and using innovative marketing tools and resources. While I navigated through this unknown field, I wish I had known what I know now.

Don’t be afraid to take chances on innovative marketing tools. I think I felt hesitant about utilizing different marketing tools that were out of the norm. The company tended to like more traditional marketing tools vs. trying things that others weren’t doing. You were more likely to get the approval on a TV spot vs. a QR code. TAKE CHANCES! You not only will appear to be interactively innovative, but you might also find that a poster with a QR code could be more effective and less expensive than a :30 TV spot that’s harder to measure. Will there be pushback from your management? The answer could possibly be yes; however, if you never take a chance, you’ll always be exactly where you are as far as your perceived measurement of success.

(Contributed by Ashli Worden)

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10 Influential Women in Digital Marketing + Media

March is Women’s History Month and LeapFrog is celebrating not only its amazing women on staff, but also those who have been pioneers in the world for digital, interactive media and marketing.

10. Nichole Goodyear, Founder, President & CEO, Brickfish

Goodyear founded Brickfish in 2005. Under her leadership, Brickfish has been awarded the prestigious Red Herring Award as one of the Top 100 Global technology companies in the world, an OMMA Award for Best Viral Campaign, and a Forrester Award for best social program.

9. Caterina Fake, Co-founder, Hunch and Flickr

Considered a new-media mogul, Fake co-launched Flickr with Stewart Butterfield in 2004 and its growth was instant. In 2006 Fake and Butterfield were named on TIME 100, TIME magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people.

8. Amber Naslund, VP of Social Strategy, Radian6

Naslund has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Social Media Blogs of 2010 and among Forbes’ 20 Best Social Media and Marketing Blogs by Women. In 2011, Naslund co-authored her first book, The NOW Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social, with Jay Baer.

7. Beth Kanter, CEO, Zoetica

Kanter was noted by Bloomberg BusinessWeek as “one of the Web’s first social networkers” and social media pioneer, as well as a voice of innovation. Kanter started making waves in social media with her blog in 2000, and her innovative approach to use social media for non-profit causes has risen her to stardom among the social media community.

6. B.L. Ochman, Managing Director of Emerging Media, Proof Integrated Communications

Ochman has helped FORTUNE 500 companies incorporate new media into their marketing mix since 1996. She is co-founder of Pawfun.com and contributes to Ad Age’s DigitalNext and Mashable.

5. Chloe Sladden, Media Partnerships, Twitter

Sladden’s role at Twitter made Twitter essential to news, TV, and sports and entertainment fans. She works with Twitter’s partners to craft interactive experiences for their fans by cross-pollinating Twitter conversations with real-time events (case in point: the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards). In 2011, Sladden was named one of the Most Influential Women in Technology by FastCompany.

4. Marissa Mayer, VP of Consumer Products, Google

Mayer is making waves at Google and across digital media as she is overseeing some of Google’s biggest overhauls in search and innovations in social media and marketing, including geo and local services. As the former VP of search product and user experience, she helped launch more than 100 products and features, including Gmail and Google Instant. Mayer was also named one of the Most Influential Women in Technology in 2011 by FastCompany.

3. Carol Bartz, CEO, Yahoo!

Being the CEO at Yahoo! pretty much speaks for itself.

2. Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook

Sandberg was named one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business by FORTUNE in 2010 and one of the 50 Women to Watch by The Wall Street Journal in 2008.

1. Arianna Huffington, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Huffington Post

Huffington launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site in 2005. It has since become one of the most widely read, linked to, and frequently cited media brands on the Internet. In 2006, she was named on TIME 100, TIME magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people.

 

Of course, my list isn’t perfect, and the ladies of Marketing + Media agree that Leslie Bradshaw, President & COO, JESS3; Elisa Steele, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, Yahoo!; Kara Swisher, Co-Executive Editor, All Things Digital; and Camille Watson, Vice President of Marketing, LivingSocial among many others, should also be recognized for their work in the world of marketing, social media, and interactive media.

I am proud to say I also work with some awesome women in my office. To all the influential women throughout history — both in digital media and otherwise — I raise a glass to you today and say thank you!

 

(Contributed by Brittany Burdoine-Lewis)

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Maury Hill ON 3.8.2011

Benefits to Business Marketing Staff: Why to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency

In a previous blog, I discussed the benefits to business owners of hiring a digital marketing agency; the benefits of a digital agency extend to your marketing staff as well. Hiring a digital marketing agency not only allows the internal marketing staff more time to concentrate on improving and streamlining the marketing process, but it also gives them the opportunity to learn from experts, rather than trying to experiment what may or may not work to achieve long-term goals. Often, the learning curve to gaining digital exposure is lengthy and riddled with potentially costly mistakes. As time may not be readily available or the expertise level is simply lacking, it is time to let your digital agency help you with search engine marketing, display advertising, social media management, or even more specific drivers of e-commerce.

Understanding that the digital space is ever changing, your marketing staff can gain great perspective from working with a digital marketing agency. By keeping up with the latest trends and utilizing the most effective tools, the agency’s expertise provides a fresh perspective or new idea. Using the agency as a sounding board or for an objective outlook can be very valuable. A full service digital agency can also provide a one stop shopping experience when seeking knowledge and resources. Many marketing staffs work with multiple vendors, freelancers, or specialty agencies that lead to communication problems (or lack thereof) and inefficiency of time. Utilizing the experience of a digital agency leads to improved communication and efficient time management.

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Team LFI ON 3.4.2011

The Revolution Will Be Televised

It is no secret that I’ve been a hardcore fan of Gorillaz for almost a decade. I fell in love the moment I saw the music video for Clint Eastwood. They never toured outside the UK until just recently with their Escape to Plastic Beach Tour, and I was the first to buy tickets. I drove all the way to Chicago to see them live, snagging second row seats. Not hardcore enough? That’s what I thought. So I hopped on a plane and flew clear across the country just to see them a second time in Seattle. That’s when I met Damon Albarn himself, along with other members of the band (including half of the Clash). Believe me when I say my love for Gorillaz knows no bounds.

During the whole concert, clips like this were projected on a large screen behind the real-life musicians. This was the opening clip.

 

This played as Damon Albarn and company first entered the stage to perform the opening song. I still get chills watching it.

 

Throughout these years of fandom, multiple people have scoffed at my music taste. “Gorillaz?” They’d say. “That’s random. Why Gorillaz?”

The first time I faced this question, I had to really think about it. Why Gorillaz? How was I supposed to know? Love of music doesn’t need rationale. I knew one thing though: there was nothing random about it.

The fact is, it’s not just the music that makes an artist memorable, and it certainly wasn’t the only thing that hooked me. Their story, in a nutshell, is this: Damon Albarn (lead singer of Blur) joined forces with Jamie Hewlett (artist and creator of Tank Girl) and brought to life an idea seldom visited…an animated band. But these guys are no Josie and the Pussycats; their continuously skyrocketing popularity and creative originality set them apart from all other cartoon bands. Simply put, Gorillaz broke molds and blew minds, not only with their music, but also with their branding and creativity.

 

The one that started it all…

Everything revolves around the eccentric lives of these characters. It began with an absent-minded yet endearing vocalist, a 10-year-old guitarist from Japan with an unknown past, a crass, womanizing scallywag of a bassist, and a drummer possessed by a ghost. Throughout the years, the story has progressed to completely new plateaus, the characters becoming more developed and personable. Their style is dark with an almost science fiction twist, and yet somehow they’ve managed to stay relatable. This is evident just by comparing the above and below videos. They went from mostly animated to fully translating their fictional lives into the real world (or, at least close to the real world. Sadly I can’t recall ever being in a high-speed chase scene involving Bruce Willis). The story, just like the music, always takes a fresh turn, though they never lose sight of their original concepts. As a result, Gorillaz followers never get bored. Even if they aren’t fond of a new album, they always have the plot to keep them absorbed – and vice versa.

 

What a transition!

If that’s not enough to reel you in, check out their website, www.gorillaz.com. In addition to providing news and information, it provides a great deal of entertainment for those of us that need visual stimuli – it is the essence of their brand. You can take a virtual tour of Kong Studios, [fictional] home of Gorillaz. You have access to their songs, music videos, merchandise, and tons of mini games. You can even join their fan club (guess who’s a member?) to get exclusive deals and goodies. But there are regular online events and contests for everyone, as well. Recently, a competition was held to design and draw a new character. Though I didn’t win, it gave me (and thousands of others) a chance to get involved while having fun.  Gorillaz invited their fans to become part of their brand – to help build their story.  In December, they announced what they called “25 Days to Christmas.” Every day something new was posted – a wallpaper image, a video clip, or a mysterious photograph – all to get us fans pumped for the Grand Poobah of all gifts: a new album in the form of a free download on Christmas day. What more could we ask for? It’s almost overwhelming how much this groundbreaking band has contributed. Gorillaz has created a brand beyond their marketing

It is no surprise that even after all this time the Gorillaz fan base continues to grow. They are fearless to take the ugly, the worn down, the realistic, and turn it into something lovable, often symbolically moving. They are not pre-packaged or conventional, thus they are not for everyone. This, along with endless other reasons, is why they are brilliant. Regardless, everyone can appreciate Gorillaz from certain perspectives. As an illustrator/wannabe comic artist, I can admire the quirky characters and edgy storyline. As a graphic designer, I can commend the brand, look and feel, and marketing tactics.  Working for an interactive agency, I can appreciate their brand identity to draw in their fans.  And unconditionally, through and through, I can love the music they give.

 

(Contributed by Constance Courts)

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Ahhh, Digital Media … How I Welcome You to Take Over My Life

Remember the days of Saturday morning cartoons? One of my favorites was The Jetsons. I remember being four or five years old and watching reruns, completely enthralled by robot maids, flying cars, talking appliances, and people talking via video screens. Could those things really happen? In the 1980s these were things of the future — not even the foreseeable future (or so we thought). And yet, today our digital world has far surpassed many of those dreams from decades ago.

Our digital world makes staying in touch more than a phone call, letter or email of old; it’s about being informed and communicating instantaneously via text messages, video chat and social networks. Today you can video chat with just about anyone, anywhere, anytime from an office videoconference to news interviews to talking to your loved one on the other side of the world — thank you Skype. We are completely immersed in digital technology, from our home to our car to our offices. It’s completely natural for us to be surrounded by technology and have it integrated into all parts of our lives. Gone are the days of playing make believe and Barbie in the living room. In are the days of make believe with a talking Barbie with integrated digital media to “continue her story online.”

What I find really interesting as a marketer is the willingness of society to accept these changes and understand that the technological integration is not going away. It is only increasing. With the advancement of social media and mobile connectivity, marketers have the opportunity to reach consumers in an “on the move” way and need to embrace those opportunities.

Digital media is taking over my life — something I suspect is not abnormal or different than yours. Goodbye unforeseeable future … hello reality! (Well, maybe not the flying cars just yet.)

(Contributed by Brittany Burdoine-Lewis)

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