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While I'm not entirely sure if "Brian" is real, it's a very funny reminder that not everyone wants to participate in this crowdsourcing thing. (Hat tip to Johnnie Moore.)
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I saw this at Ads of the World, and thought it was very clever. Cheap, effective advertising. Hats off to Calgary's CrackerJack Media.
Last night, I took some guests to try out a casual restaurant in a nearby town. It had a happening patio and seemed quite popular with the locals, so why not give it a try?
I know restaurants often welcome free placemats with local advertising to cut costs, but honestly, what is going through your head when you put out placemats that advertise a SEPTIC SYSTEM?
The first thing I saw as I sat down to eat were the words “septic”, “solids”, “bacteria”. Bon appétit, folks!
For the love of Pete, people! I don’t care if they were free. It’s not worth it.
Humour in copywriting can be tricky. Finding that “universal LOL” is extremely difficult. When it works, it’s brilliant. When it falls flat, it sits there in a mirthless mess for all to see.
Last weekend, this flyer arrived in my local newspaper. I don’t know if the "modelquin" idea seemed like a whole whack of good silly fun at the concept stage, but these ads for Old Navy are more creepy than hilarious to me. I looked into it a little more, and apparently I’ve been living under a rock. The Crispin Porter + Bogusky ad campaign started two months ago. (BTW, CP+B are the folks behind that other creepy plastic mascot – Burger King’s King.)
Alex Bogusky is quoted as saying, "We're taking a poke at fashion. We're doing it in an entertaining way with some characters that are having fun and feeling good."
Oh.
Well, I’m sure my feelings are apparent, but what about you? Does it work for you?
- One of the biggest stories this week was Dominos. And the above search results are just a small example how not having a social media plan in place can be damaging. After employees behaved very badly indeed, and uploaded their food pranks to YouTube, things went sideways for the pizza chain. USA Today explains some of the lessons to be learned.
- Well, Digg released a URL shortener that failed to impress. (That’s being kind.) Read the Truth About Digg’s DiggBar to get the inside scoop on why it’s just plain evil from an SEO point-of-view. Gene Smith offers up a few alternative options.
- What’s wrong with the phrase “social media”? Josh Bernoff elegantly explains Why 'Social Media' Sucks.
- How the Internet Community Saved Alf – need I say more?
- This is a beautiful post that deserves to be read and read again: 5 Lessons From Regular Architects That Everyone Should Embrace.
- Kelowna’s Orchard Park Shopping Mall hit one out of the park with its “Fresh-er-vention” Facebook contest. I foresee more Facebook Connect campaigns, don't you?
- Truer words were never spoken. Want to get people talking about your company? Create something newsworthy.
- Zen Habits often dishes up some great productivity tips, and I particularly liked this one: Seven Productivity Tips for People That Hate GTD.
- Not to sound all gushy, but Lee Odden is an SEO rock star. He continually puts out Top 10 material. Read his article Improve Public Relations with SEO & Social Media, and discover why keyword research, content optimization and content assets can add value to your website, your end user and your company’s brand.
- Who doesn’t love a makeover? Roberta Rosenberg does a brilliant job of explaining how TheWeddingLens.com could be improved and get a better conversion rate.
Friday Fun
What’s your Twitter zodiac sign?
Years ago I started saving groovy corks, with thoughts of doing something interesting with them… maybe a chair or whenever I get around to ordering several tons of clear acrylic resin, perhaps a tabletop. But from the several hundred that I have stashed away, I have never seen a web address on a cork.
Isn’t this a clever-clever idea?
The cork of a wine bottle is quite literally a customer touchpoint, and what a better way to direct people to your website? The label for the rather charming Columbia Valley Semillon from L'Ecole No. 41 also featured the website and other contact details.
Lovely!
1. This week you couldn’t swing a cat – if you are inclined to do so – without hearing the word “Skittles.” When the candy company killed its website and instead overlaid their site on top of Twitter, Wikipedia and other social media sites, a full-scale Skittlegate rolled into the InterWebz. David Armano had some thoughts that he shared with Jackie Huba of Church of the Customer. Jim Sterne sees it as a Kool-Aid overdose and wins the prize this week for the most amazing sound-bite: "...don't bogart that social-media bong. Small hits are delicious..."
2. Hey, guess what? At long last Twitter might actually get a built-in search box.
3. Are you a newcomer to the world of SEO? SEOmoz is always an incredible resource and this week offered 12 Easy Mistakes that Plague Newcomers to the SEO Field.
4. Ann Smarty reminds us not to ignore breadcrumb navigation – it can feed search engines and help users.
5. Brand stories often can be told in a few highly compelling words. Advergirl’s Leigh House has an insightful look at 10 compelling, authentic brands.
6. Online influence. What is it and how do you measure it? Micah Baldwin delivers the goods at Mashable.
7. When Matt Cutts makes recommendations, you should listen. Google has a firm stand on paid posts and transparency. Word.
8. I found Suzemuse’s piece, The Story of Information, to be fascinating and a profound piece of advice: Figure out the story you want your online data to tell.
9. Design and content work hand-in-hand, to provide a user experience. Smashing Magazine has a fantastic article on how icons can support content in web design. I promise you’ll never look at the icon the same way again.
10. In a world of No’s it’s time to think of creative ways we can say Yes! to our customers.
This Week’s Fun
Was it Mrs. Peacock in the library with the lead pipe? Nope, it’s Aflac.
1. What if you Googled your name and didn’t like what showed up in the results? The Wall Street Journal’s Julia Angwin takes a layman’s trip through the world of search engine optimization in “It’s a New Me (As Seen on Google)"
2. There has been a lot of backlash against some of the folks who call themselves social media experts. Dave Fleet offers 8 questions to ask your social media expert. And I suspect more social media companies might start showcasing case studies.
3 My colleague Elia from Rossul Design sent me the news that Google Latitude had launched. It’s an add-on social network service that allows friends to see where you are and could allow marketers to target users' in real-time locations via mobile, then pitch them with local deals. It's intriguing but I'm not sure I want messages from my friends saying “Oh Char, are you at Olive & Gourmando AGAIN? Step away from the brownies, woman!” While Marketing Pilgrim’s Jordan McCollum notes that Google has covered privacy issues, Dan Tynan wonders if Google is taking too much latitude?
4. Ever wonder why pants, trousers and corduroys all sound plural when there is only one of them? Wonder no more. Grammar Gal has you covered. She also takes on scissors and measles.
5. What can we all learn from a restaurant in Bend, Oregon? A lot apparently. In this fascinating look at a restaurant’s demise, Brand Insight Blog examines why trends seldom translate into a lasting brand and differentiation isn’t good enough. Oddly enough, we can learn a helluva lot from cows as well.
6. Over at AdPulp, there is an interesting look at content, and why it matters.
7. Paul Dunay has put together some valuable resources – read Personal Brand Organization Tips.
8. Despite the over-the-top title, Top Ten Secrets to Social Network Superstardom , Marketing Profs’ Paul Chaney offers up some very sage advice.
9. Steve Rubel asks “Is the Google cookie tracking everyone’s surfing habits?” A Google spokesperson has said no they don’t, but Steve still has a few questions. Stay tuned on this one.
10. As a copywriter, I really enjoyed “Practice Pacing the Rhythm of Your Copy” at GrokDotCom. All writing has a meter, so be aware of your copywriting’s tempo and the mood it sets.
Friday Fun
1. This 70s ad for socks is very, very disturbing. (Thanks Copyranter!)
2. I love a lot of these huge outdoor ads. Very clever. Enjoy!!
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