SHOOT FROM THE HIP

What makes something catch on, or “go viral”? I’m not talking H1N1 here. I’m talking ideas and products. It’s a question every marketer and brand wants answered, definitively. Each time a video on YouTube becomes the latest craze or a fashion trend becomes ubiquitous, a new theory pops up. There are some common criteria that can be identified, of course. Pete Cashmore, from Mashable, does a great job of outlining a few, in relation to YouTube, for his recent story at CNN.com. But the truth is, there are many cute, funny or emotional videos, and many products with cute, fun or emotional brand stories attached, which affect barely a ripple on consumers’ consciousness.

So what makes something talkable?

Photo by McAzadi/BUSY via Flickr

We share things that make us pause. We share things that stop us in our shoes. We remember things that make our brains jump off the track of mundane, routine and expected. For anyone who recalls what records are, it’s like when the needle skips in the middle of a song we’ve heard a million times.

Photo by NationYell via Flickr

We sit up. We take notice. We talk.

So when was the last time you had a needle skipping moment? What did you talk about?

Technology is killing old media. At least, that’s what we’ve been told. Every few months, someone announces the death knells of print media in the face of the internet’s power. This month, Esquire Magazine decided to challenge this new paradigm by marrying the two seemingly opposing forces. In the December issue, Esquire has adopted Augmented Reality to give readers a unique, memorable, personal, and interactive experience.

How does it work?

Simple, really – except the technology behind it, that’s more complicated and best explained by a tech guru. Anyone who has purchased the December issue can go to the Esquire website, download some software and then hold various pages of the magazine – including the cover – up to their webcam. What happens next is better seen than explained…

Obviously, this kind of interaction with one’s magazine won’t work for every periodical or even every issue. But it’s such an exciting way to engage readers and guarantee their undivided attention, that it’s got people talking.

So check it out, and let me know which page is your favorite. Personally, I like controlling the weather – something I wish I could do off the pages of Esquire as well.

Full Disclosure: A Squared Group has no affiliation with Esquire Magazine. We just think it’s cool.

As most Americans prepare to sit down with friends and family for a day of eating, everyone’s focus tends to be more on what goes in the mouth than what comes out of it. Talk, however, is a huge part of what makes holidays great – an unexpected conversation topic, a shared observation between two “orphaned” friends, a serendipitous story recounted by a visiting relative, or crucial advice imparted by one generation to another. Acknowledging this, I am left wondering what folks will be talking about tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day.

How many people will decide to pursue a new endeavor, check out a new store, product, website, or experience, or shift their perception about a brand based on a discussion had around the dinner table or during the commercial break of a football game? When over 80% of us still make our purchase decisions based on recommendations from family and friends, the words that get passed around may just be more filling than the turkey and stuffing.

So take a moment to listen to what’s being said at your holiday gathering. And don’t worry, there will still be plenty of left-overs to go around.

Happy Thanksgiving from A Squared Group!

Experiential marketing is about shifting people’s perceptions, exceeding their expectations and providing memorable, enjoyable and tangible connections between brand and consumer. When confronted with all the noise and clutter prevalent in our 21st century world, what makes me, in my role as consumer, pause and take notice? I must admit my expectations might be higher than those of someone who doesn’t live and breath experiential marketing and brand advocacy, but the basic components are the same. I want to be surprised and delighted. I want a unique experience. I want to feel that the brand speaks directly to me, reflects out-of-the-box thinking and respects my time, values and intelligence. I know how we achieve that at A Squared Group, and I love seeing it done well elsewhere too.

Recently, I was introduced to Bompas & Parr via KCRW’s Good Food program, and once again reminded of how limitless the possibilities are for creating a memorable experience – whether in service to a brand or not. Bompas & Parr up-ended the idea of what it means to have a drink. They vaporized Hendrick’s Gin and Fever Tree tonic in a building. Guests walked through a cloud of mist, “drinking” their gin and tonic with each inhalation of air.

Anyone who imbibed from this Alcoholic Architecture will never think of gin and tonic the same way again, and will associate this amazing experience with the brands involved.

All of which just goes to show that nurturing the relationship between brand and consumer has never been more fun.

Twitter is here to stay. I don’t think that’s a particularly bold statement. Twitter has been embraced by consumers of every age and demographic. More and more companies are realizing it is a compelling medium through which to communicate their brand identity and engage in dialogue with their fans and detractors alike. They quickly learn that the most straightforward way in which to activate, and participate, in a conversation is through the use of hashtags. For those who have an active Twitter handle, hashtags are old news. But for anyone who has yet to be initiated into the language and etiquette of the Twitverse, the mention of hashtags draws black stares. And, unfortunately, the uninitiated still outnumber the converts by a significant margin.

Simply put, hashtags are any word, or linked words – words strung together without spacing, preceded by the “#” sign, eg. #asquaredgroup. Ideally, they relate to the subject of the tweet in which they are found. Traditionally, they are placed at the end of the tweet. Most importantly, they serve as a signpost for anyone wanting to be part of a conversation about the hashtagged subject.

For example, if I want to talk to people who love Nintendo, I’ll search #NintendoEnthused. My search will reveal a real-time discourse between Tweeters across the Twitverse who are excited about that brand and want to share their opinion with a larger audience. The search filters out any tweets from those same individuals that aren’t about Nintendo. I don’t have to be following any of them. I can “listen” to the conversation by just following the tweet stream. I can jump in and out of it whenever I want.

If I want to start a new conversation, all I need to do is send a tweet about my subject of choice and include a hashtag of my own making. My followers can engage in dialogue with me about it. In addition, anyone who is interested in the subject, and searches for it, can join in. The conversation takes on a life of its own. If members of the Twitverse think it is relevant, the conversation may continue for hours, days, or months. It may even start a movement.

The hashtag is a beautiful thing. And it’s just one of the many reasons why those of us who have embraced the incredibly dynamic and exciting world of Twitter advocate it so emphatically.