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?

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.

Waiting in line for Grand Opening Event

What would make jaded New Yorkers do a double take, tourist buses screech to an unscheduled halt and busy shoppers feel like the holidays came early? An unexpected encounter. A phenomenal experience. A change from the ordinary to the extraordinary. That is exactly what happened a few weeks ago at Old Navy’s flagship store in Manhattan. In concert with nineteen other Grand Opening events that A Squared Group developed and orchestrated throughout the United States and Canada, including a carnival complete with Ferris wheel in Manhattan Beach, California, we created a jaw-dropping brand experience in SoHo, New York.

wow

Our goal? To ensure that every Old Navy customer and passerby, from infant to octogenarian, felt part of the Old Navy celebration and the Old Navy community.

Lots of smiles

The excitement level was at a fever pitch all day long. Vintage sodas, popcorn and freshly spun cotton candy were given out. Face-painters and balloon artists delighted children (and adults) with their creations. Branded games were created specifically for the event. And members of Cirque du Soleil wowed the crowds with feats of daring and delight.

Teamwork

Customers called, texted and tweeted their friends and family. Pedestrians made unplanned detours into the store. More than one sight-seeing tour added Old Navy to their agenda. The experience reaffirmed consumers’ conviction that Old Navy is a fun and friendly place for the whole family. And we loved being part of it!

ROI

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!

Last week, a team from A Squared Group was in the Big Apple to spend some time with robots. Well, the Droid, actually. We produced another event for Motorola. This time, Manhattan taste-makers were able to check out the covetable new Droid smart phone.

The product has already made huge waves in technology and social media circles. Now, everyone else is talking about it too.

Don’t be surprised if it takes over the world.

The switch IKEA made was from a customized version of Futura to a standardized version of Microsoft’s open-source Verdana. Now, before you roll your eyes, let me assure you that this was a strategic decision. IKEA wanted to cut costs and be able to use the same font across the globe. As IKEA spokeswoman, Monika Gocic, put it, Verdana is “more efficient and cost-effective.” The ultimate result of IKEA’s decision, however, may turn out to be anything but cost-effective, and ultimately damaging to its brand identity.

IKEA failed to consider the level of passionate attachment IKEA enthusiasts have for the brand, and its visual representation. According to statements made on Twitter and in interviews, many IKEA enthusiasts saw the company’s shift to a more ubiquitous, simplified font as potentially emblematic of a shift in IKEA’s larger brand and design philosophy. And they were vocal in their upset.

This was both a blessing and a curse. The fact that enthusiasts are so invested in the IKEA brand that they felt compelled to articulate their dismay is impressive, on one hand. It indicates how much they identify, and personalize their relationship, with the brand. Companies live for this kind of loyalty. However, these enthusiasts had interpreted the company’s actions as negatively influencing the overall brand image and value.

No company known amongst its loyalists as a design innovator wants to suddenly be associated with dumbed-down, common-place design. But that is exactly the leap that was made. IKEA did not expect this reaction. In addition, it did not formulate a response to, or open up dialogue with, its enthusiasts.

This may have been a critical misstep.

In less than a day, IKEA’s new font was as active a topic in the Twitterverse as Senator Edward Kennedy’s death. And the conversation was global. Days later, the discussion continues. It is fed by the interactive energy of Twitter, and carried forward by mainstream media, blogs and word-of-mouth. It involves both IKEA enthusiasts and those originally only marginally interested in the subject. But a voice from IKEA has yet to join in.

It is too soon to tell whether enthusiasts’ negative sentiments will mushroom into a revolt, as happened for Coke when it made a little change back in 1985, or will disappear from the Twitterstream without affecting IKEA’s bottom line. It would be a shame, however, if nothing is learned from this “surprise” development.

I hope that IKEA eventually does fashion a response to their enthusiasts, addresses the misunderstanding, and adjusts their strategy following this episode. If nothing else, perhaps they now will remember the following:

a) Never underestimate the power of your brand enthusiasts. They will carry you far, maintain inspiring loyalty and spread the message of your brilliance… as long as you hold up your end of the bargain. Simply put:

* Listen to your enthusiasts;

* Respect their opinions; and

* Create dialogue to communicate your intentions.

b) Do not dismiss the force of Twitter. It is now, dare I say it, as powerful as the blog.

In the interest of full disclosure, let me clarify that A SQUARED GROUP has no present or past association with IKEA, though I’d put money down that most of the team, at one point or another, has owned a piece or two of IKEA’s assembly-required furniture.

As Jack Neff discussed in his article for AdAge, and I can attest, there was an abundance of swag at BlogHer – at sign in, at most sponsor booths and at almost every party. Obviously, there were a variety of reasons why over 1200 women (and men) attended BlogHer. The expectation of swag was clearly one of them. In fact, some bloggers brought extra, empty suitcases in which to cart home their loot. With so much stuff, Brands struggled to get noticed in the midst of a lot of clutter.

Based upon my experience, and numerous conversations with women throughout the conference, here’s how it looked from the ground…

The acquisition of swag took on a life of its own. At the SocialLuxe event, which, by most accounts, had the best swag bag, some bloggers did indeed morph into coyote scavengers, taking bags that were designated for others and/or more than one bag. This party took place on the night before the main conference started. The frenzy to take stuff only grew from there. It wasn’t about brand awareness or brand loyalty. It was about possession.

Some attendees approached representatives at booths and in suites with queries about free stuff in lieu of a more commonplace greeting, like “hello.” Quantity usurped quality. Collecting overrode conversing. At the ShutterSisters event, on the final evening of the conference, the hostesses made a radical decision to hold back the promised swag bags, opting to send them to RSVP’d guests after the fact, simply in an attempt to return a level of civility and purity to the proceedings.

What happened to all the stuff?

As a result of all the frenzy, what happened to much of the branded material was… NOTHING. Coupons were abandoned on lunch tables. Multiple branded thumb drives and Mrs. Potato Heads were left for hotel housekeeping. Tote bags were recycled. As Mr. Neff attested, “…maybe even check out one of (Chicago’s) pawn shops this week” to discover where all the stuff went.

Is this what Brands want?

It can sound very impressive to say a Brand has reached every influential female blogger – 1200 targeted consumers – in attendance at BlogHer. Every company that had a coupon or gift in the BlogHer registration bag can make that claim. It is a hollow claim, however, if the brand impression is fleeting, or makes more of an impact on the Sheraton cleaning staff or pawn shop clerk than The Bloggess.

If Brands want to establish lasting relationships with their consumers, motivating long-term loyalty and genuine word-of-mouth enthusiasm, the “bury them in swag” approach does not appear to be the most effective vehicle for communication. Instead, Brands should concentrate on nurturing one-on-one dialogues and memorable brand experiences to foster a level of engagement that doesn’t dissolve upon check-out. Bellhops may have less luggage to wrangle, but bloggers and Brands will ultimately be better served.

Thank you, the academy, method, mom...

We attended the Pro Awards at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago last night.  Both Melissa and Amy served as judges for this year’s competition, so we were dying to find out which programs would come out on top!  We were also ecstatic to be finalists in three categories for our method Detox Seattle program; Best Use of Event Marketing (five or less venues), Best Campaign Targeting a Micro Audience, and Best