Jaffe Juice

JJTV #3 - Augmented Reality, Creativity & Ecomagination G.E. Style

New episode of JaffeJuiceTV focusing on a ridiculously cool demonstration from G.E. which puts Second Life to shame.

Links:

• Subscribe to the show on iTunes
• G.E. Augmented Reality/Smart Grid demonstration
• Karen Nadalin

Here Hyundai, gone tomorrow

Hyundai recently announced a new Assurance program where people who lose their job can return their car. They used their Super Bowl slot to repeat the message. Jonah gives them kudos. As do I.

Just to be clear, the fact they used the Super Bowl is less significant than a really smart (opportunistic?) move to stand for something real/valuable, especially during these challenging times.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think this is the single most significant and potentially differentiating move this commoditized brand has done in its entire marketing lifespan operating in the US.

Are Facebook Apps the New Viral Video?

Friendship is strong, but the Whopper is stronger.

I'm not sure if this was an advertising tagline, created by Crispin, Porter & Bogusky for Burger King (let's call it "integrated" for now) or specifically designed for a Facebook app. Either way, it became the basis for a much discussed Facebook App where Facebook users got to "sacrifice" their friends (sort the wheat from the chaff) in exchange for a Whopper...

Said "friends" would then be notified that they had been sacrificed.

And here's where it goes pear shaped: Facebook objects to this as it violates a term/condition of their user agreement i.e. explicitly informing people that they have been removed as a friend (think creepy middle-aged guy in relation to young, smoking-hot female employee)

Facebook removes the alert notification and BK promptly "sacrifices" (nice spin) their Application...and in doing so, remains "true to themselves".

There are probably 4 angles to this story:

1. Where did it go wrong? (or did it go wrong at all)
2. How could it have gone "more right"?
3. Did it work?
4. What does this teach us?

I guess the real stories here are about collaboration and the more category-specific one: debating the role for social networking as a utility platform (amongst other roles) versus advertising vehicle.

Had CP+B/BK worked with Facebook at all (let alone more closely), perhaps the outcome would have been very different. Or not. Had Facebook "sacrificed" its subscriber terms (philosophy), arguably the loss might have been far greater than just a few friends.

Put differently, this story is somewhat of a fork in the road if you think about it: a seminal moment which paves the way for Facebook and Madison Avenue to determine:
a) whether Facebook remains a free resource for brands to loot and pillage at will
b) whether Facebook is an ad vehicle/media platform....or not

It should be acknowledged that the overall reaction to this program has been fairly positive (am I wrong?) In addition, with 82,000 participants and over 230,000 friends "removed" - not to mention plenty of buzz - it's hard to knock the fact this program struck a chord.

Of course, that chord could have been a giant flat note (to keep the metaphor going) This whole initiative just doesn't sit right in my stomach (kind of like a Whopper) From a strategic standpoint, anything overt that decreases Facebook's membership (audience) base is clearly not good for business. It also flies in the face of WHY people are using Facebook in the first place.

I'm not sure if this is too extreme a point, but one might make the argument that this is even more consumer UNCENTRIC than 30-second spots...

Perhaps had there been a way to reward the culled friends i.e. the ability (like in a reality show) to get back in the game...call it the Benie Madoff move (a revenge-based Ponzi Jedi mindtrick), it might have been a little more playful (if that's even possible).

Bottom line: This "app" broke through the clutter, but at what price? Speaking of price, for the next Hacker movie, would Facebook simulate a giant hack and fake a bunch of membership accounts being taken over? No doubt, your immediate reaction would "NO WAY, JOSE," but could this be possible? What if Facebook creates two tiers of pricing for users? Free = implicit permission for marketing shenanegans Fee = Leave us the hell alone.

What are your thoughts on what this means for future (customized) brand efforts on Facebook and similar SocNet platforms?

And then there's the subject of this post: Are Facebook Apps becoming the New Viral Video? Does resorting to stunts, extreme surprises and guerrilla or unexpected tactics become an input or output (or both) in terms of ante up?

I surely hope they'll resemble less of these kinds of efforts and more like what Kraft is doing with respect to deploying a cause marketing angle.

You should know: crayon consults with both Kraft and Facebook, but not yet Burger King or CP+B...call me! :)

Jaffe Juice #122 - Chatting with Geoff Livingston and Allyn Brooks about Social Philanthropy and Save Darfur

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Geoff Livingston and Save Darfur's Allyn Brooks about Social Philanthropy and the Darfur crisis. What are you waiting for? Add your voice now: http://www.addyourvoice.org/ - send President Obama a postcard and play your part. Audio comments to +1 206 203-3255. Follow me on Twitter.

Direct download here

iTunes subscription here

Additional links:

• Darfur Add Your Voice
• Armano Effort
• Marketplace discussion of Armano effort
• Geoff Livingston's Blog, The Buzz Bin
• Geoff's Book, Now is Gone

Carpe Diem - Sears the Day!

This post and the details of the program are based on a Sears sponsorship via Izea. The opinions and accounts however, are mine.

Hot on the heels of the buzzworthy K-mart blogger program, comes a similar effort for parent, Sears. And this time, I'm involved. Perhaps I was a bit of a squeaky wheel, but to his credit Izea honcho, Ted Murphy was listening...and he invited me to participate in a new round/version of this novel idea.

 So here was my "mission" (if I chose to accept it): In keeping with Sears' Don't Just Give a Gift, Grant a wish initiative, You will be provided with a $500 Sears gift card to spend at your local Sears on holiday gifts.We would like you to “Grant a Wish” either for yourself, a loved one or charity.

I chose to do all 3 and so on Sunday, December 13th, I took the family to our nearest Sears (some 20 miles away in Milford) and purchased a gift for myself, my family and Al's Angels, a local charity that "provides moments of joy and comfort to families that are challenged by childhood cancer, rare blood diseases, AIDS and domestic violence."

Incidentally, Al's Angels was started by Al DiGuido, who happens to be the founder & CEO of Zeta Interactive, which happens to be the former stomping ground of fellow-crayonsita, Jane Quigley. Talk about serendipity.

I purchased the DVD of the Dark Knight for myself, my wife bought a dress and mini-vacuum for the car, my daughter purchased a digital camera (a cheap one which didn't work), my son a game for the Wii and my other son chose Mighty Wheels (although at 18 months he might have been more interested in the box itself)

The rest (see photo) went to charity and included 6 pairs of Lands' End snow boots (very reasonably priced @ $25 on sale), Hot Wheels, Etch-a-Sketch, assorted Fisher Price toys, Mr Potato Head, Bath toys, Tea sets, Tools, Baby Dolls and Lego.

It was an incredible experience to know that we were shopping for others and we could literally visualize the 35 kids we would be able to touch during a Holiday season during a tough and challenging economic climate for those who have so many more worries that we could ever imagine.

The highest form of charity is to give anonymously, such that the givers don't know who the receivers are and the receivers don't know who the givers are. This is a far cry from that. It's not even our money per se, but given the equity that Jaffe Juice (blog + podcast) and their wonderful communities have been able to create, both I and you have had a hand (albeit indirect) in terms of making this possible.

...which is where I return the favor to you.

In addition to the Wishes you have granted for your loved ones, you have the ability to Grant a Wish for your readers. Each blogger will create packages of products totaling $500 value or less to give away.
 

We live in a multimedia world and so in the spirit of technology, content creation, community, dialogue and partnership, I've created 2 3 packages which incorporate:

• Photography - so you can savor a lasting image of me or snap one at the next tweet-up :)
• Music - so you can listen to Jaffe Juice -the New Marketing Podcast in style
• Video - perhaps you'll just want to lean back on that next flight and watch one of my presentations

To win one of the two three packages, you need to blog comment, tweet or blog post. And I'm adding in a new way: send an audio comment to +1 206 203-3255. I'll make sure Ted treats your podcast comments equally :)

Blog Comment: Leave a comment on this post with the name of the wish package you would like to win.

Twitter Tweet: Simply tweet out the following message: “RT @jaffejuice - please grant my wish to win the #Sears (package name) - tweet to win your own wish (http://urlbrief.com/e007be)” In case you didn't already know, I'm jaffejuice on Twitter if you'd like to follow me. I'll be sure to follow you back.

Blog Post: If you're a blogger, you can enter by writing a post about the contest and linking back to your post. Be sure to leave a comment on this post on Jaffe Juice with the URL of your post.

Audio comment: Send in an audio comment to +1 206 203-3255 and also leave a comment on this post to indicate you've sent in something. I'll make sure I provide links subsequently to the audio comment.

Some other roolz (the full list is here):

• Whilst Sears sponsored the gift card and initial giveaway, Izea is the sponsor of the the reader contest
• Each tweet, comment or post counts as one registration.
• A person can register up to three times by tweeting, leaving a comment and doing a post on their own blog or sending in an audio comment. In other words, leave 3 comments instead of 1.
• The winner will be chosen at random by IZEA based on all entries.
• The contests are separate, each blogger participating in this promotion will have their own package to give away.

I suppose you'll want to know the packages now:

Package 1: The practical one - value: $494.95

• Luxentia 8" Black Leather Digital Photo Frame With Additional Brown Leather Frame
• Polaroid Digital Instant Mobile Photo Printer, PoGo™
• Apple 8GB iPod® Nano Digital Media Player - Black
• Iphone Clear case
• GPX Portable DVD Player w/ 8 in. Widescreen Display

Package 2: The fun one - value: $509.97

• Emerson Portable Karaoke CD+G System w/ 5.5 in. B&W Monitor
• Wii Fit & Wii Balance Board
• Apple 16GB iPod® Touch Digital Media Player – Black
• Belkin Remix Acrylic Case for iPod® touch

NEW: Package 3: The wii one - value $519.93

• Nintendo Wii - Fun Bundle

A few final thoughts/comments:

1. The overall experience was a positive one. The family had a lot of fun. The staff seemed a little frazzled given the holiday festivities and apart from one item which didn't make its way home and one that was faulty, our overall assessment was that we would go back...
2. I want to thank Sears for stepping up to the plate. I hope to continue to crow about both crayon clients and others who are investing in conversation.
3. I'll do a post soon or a podcast to talk about the MARKETING implications of this program i.e. a proper commentary/debrief on my take as BOTH a participant and a marketer. There is already quite a bit of buzz on this with folks like Jeremiah and Chris.
4. I want to thank you all for your support, feedback, comments and suggestions over the years. A big reason why I accepted this program was community - both to give back something to you and (in this case) children in need
5. Finally, I want to wish you all Happy Holidays and given the challenging year we've had and the one that's to come, only health, happiness, success....and perhaps more appropriately, safety, security and stability

Update: Izea is offering a cash bonus of $2,500 to the participating blogger who garners the most legit comments by midnight 11.59pm on December 23rd (1 minute before my birthday). If I win, I'm donating 100% of this to Al's Angels. Spread the juice...

Join the Political Conversation - part 4

Could this "ad" be titled, "silent but violent"? In a very interesting twist, KFC will reach out to the Presidential candidates on Monday night in Nashville (during Dancing with the Stars no less) with the following challenge: "if anyone mentions "world hunger" during Tuesday's debate, KFC will donate $20,000 to World Hunger Relief".

While I get the spirit of this (at the end of the day, $20K is $20K whichever way you slice it...and surely an organization can choose how it wants to spend its money), I can't help but feel a little uneasy about this. It just feels like a greasy piece of fried chicken to me to be honest.

In addition, I wonder how much the commercial itself will cost (to produce and to air) and why KFC couldn't or wouldn't have just donated this to World Hunger Relief instead.

Either way, I will be impressed if either (or both - would KFC give $40,000 then?) candidate takes the bait although I won't hold my breath.

Visiting the brand E.R. - the difference between onslaught and onslaught(er)

Andrea Vascellari sends me this Greenpeace video response to Dove's Onslaught (their follow-up to Evolution...and not to be confused with Slob Evolution)

In his post, Andrea notes this as a perfect example of how public reputation can be smashed down in less than 2 minutes (1m27 to be exact)

The video is in response to this piece:

It's a far cry from Slob Evolution, which was a playful and irreverent spoof of the ground-breaking Evolution video, which seemingly ushered in a new era of thoughtful and purpose-based brands that put authenticity, transparency and social responsibility before corporate greed, profits and acquisition.

Until now...

On one hand, this sends out the clearest of messages to faker brands looking to "get in on the conversation" by sending out a stern warning: you gotta walk your talk if you want to join the conversation. Think like an advertiser and attempt to cut corners and you will be found out and duly punished.

Put differently, if you want to commit to community, dialogue and partnership, you need to have your entire house in order first.

Now that said....I would be remiss by dumping on Unilever if I didn't point out this timely update from Greenpeace itself:

UPDATE: Thanks to the staggering public support for our international Dove campaign in April 2008, Unilever has now agreed to play their part in saving the Paradise Forests of South East Asia. As the biggest single buyer of palm oil in the world, Unilever has a special responsibility to help clean up the industry that's behind so much forest destruction.

They have agreed to support the call by Greenpeace for an immediate moratorium on deforestation for palm oil plantations. They have also agreed to urgently contact other major companies calling on them to support the moratorium.

This is the first success in a broader campaign to secure real change on the ground in South East Asia -- to stop the palm oil industry from destroying the Paradise Forests. Greenpeace campaigners will work with Unilever for th next six months (starting May 2008) to bring together a major coalition of companies to make the moratorium a reality. We will see at the end of this period how things are progressing and if we need to change our campaign approach.

The update is both in the information box on the YouTube video post, as well as in the comment thread. It certainly alludes to the fact that Unilever is listening and although being taken to task, is prepared to change or at least take steps in the right direction.

That said, I wonder how many people will notice this "fyi" and in the process, how much brand reputation damage will occur?

My Home 2.0

It's one part branded entertainment - ala Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - and one part giving something to the community.

To tell you more about this initiative, I hand you over to the Social Media Press Release (it's a wonderful thing):

• Any family can submit audition videos now via the website, for a chance to be chosen for an upgrade.       
• Chosen families will have their houses decked out with the latest in high-tech networking, theater and gaming equipment, tailored to their individual needs.
• Each house upgrade is unveiled at a community-wide block party where the attendees watch the live action on the Jumbotron and enjoy other festivities.
• Currently three families in the Philadelphia area and two families in the Pittsburgh area will get a complete technological home upgrade FREE from the My Home 2.0 team.
• TV Episodes will air on major local network channels, FiOS TV video-on-demand and online at http://2pointhome.com
• Families' stories will live on through the website, along with regular updates from the Tech Guru hosts and FiOS techs.

It's a Verizon FIOS initiative that basically moves around from town and town and then once the makeovers are complete, everybody parties.

Steve and CC are working on this project and from what I've read, it seems like a great experience thus far...and anything that takes me away from those ghastly FIOS 30-second spots can only be a good thing.

Now on another note, I'll gladly barter a month's sponsorship on my podcast for a Verizon FIOS upgrade makeover :)

Buying Red

I blogged about this 6 months ago. The other day I saw an "ad" for the iPod Nano "Red" edition on iTunes and within 5 minutes I had purchased it. No questions asked.

This is real. This is what it's all about.

When the American Express RED card is available in the US, I will gladly give up my Platinum card for the RED card.

I love it.

Message on a bottle

As I arrived at the railway station today, there was a table where people where handing out bottled water. I took a bottle and hopped on the train.

At a moment of boredom, I took a gander at the bottle. This is what I saw:

"In the last nine years, we've conserved enough water to fill 11 billion bottles like this"

The company in question was United Technologies.

I loved the content and context of this message.

Now I can't say I know too much about this company, but I'm probably not their audience anyway (although arguably as a blogger, I most surely am).

Parting thought...a pity they never provided a URL on the bottle.