All eyes on the Samsung Galaxy S4

Apple is now the most valuable brand and its competitors have to be really creative in order to convince the smartphone lovers to buy their products.

Samsung and its Galaxy S4 is struggling to seduce some new consumers. In order to do so, Samsung's communication budget must be quite impressive and allows the brand to use a large number of instruments above and below the line.

Thanks to its last below the line operation, Samsung has created a buzz. 

Imagine yourself in Gent Sint Pieters Station, waiting for your train. Then, your eyes meet one billboard  on which you can read: "Win one Galaxy S4 simply by looking at it."

Sounds pretty interesting, no?

But actually, you would have to stare at it during one whole hour while different events would happen next to you (dogs, motorcycle...).

In Zurich station, where this operation took place, only one man succeeded to get a free Galaxy S4. 

A clever way for Samsung to advertise its product and its new eye-tracking feature!

Léa Vinel

Social Media

Here's a little flashback. The guest Geert Stox told us during his presentation about Social Media that everybody is connected to everybody. Again this week, I share with you a video (I know, it is in French again…I am sorry!!) that shows the impacts and effects of social media. Indeed, it clearly indicates how social networks is now an important part of our lives.

"-There are 2.3 billion Internet users worldwide

-Including 41.2 millions in France

-78% of French Internet users use social networks

-52% are between 25 and 45 years

-66% of French users are connected at least once a day

YouTube

-1 billion of users worldwide

-4 billion of videos are viewed every day

-Gangnam style is the most popular video with 1550 00000 views

Instragram

-100 millions of Internet users use Instragram

-Over 5 millions of photos are posted each day

LinkedIn

-200 millions of members

-172,800 of new members per day, two registrations per second

Twitter:

-500 millions of members worldwide

-175 millions of tweets are created every day, despite 40% of accounts have never tweeted

Pinterest

-20 millions of members

-80% of its members are women

Facebook

-1.06 billion of users worldwide

-26 millions of users in France

-French users have around 177 friends"

These data are eloquent and conclusive. I think they show to companies the power of social networks. According to me, there is now no doubt about the effectiveness of social media and that every company should integrate them and be active on. As most people are now present and very active on social networks, companies will certainly find their target group. I think the social media market is getting so much bigger, so it is impossible for a company to not be active and use them wisely. If they do so, companies can see its activities increased. They just have to develop and adopt the best strategies to reach their target group.

Source : http://vimeo.com/65153920

Stéphanie VILLENEUVE

International Institute of Digital Marketing in Philippines

    The recent launching of the International Institute of Digital Marketing in Philippines (on April 2013) is just another proof that certified digital marketers are needed in the industry. The International Institute of Digital Marketing is a project between The Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines and E-Learning Edge.
   Top agencies owned by WPP, Aegis Group, IPG, Omnicom and Publicis (just to give some names) will send mentors who will teach in 12 modules offered exclusively to marketing practitioners. Students need to pass all the modules in order to be given the title Certified Digital Marketing (CDM). Which is interesting is that the Certified Digital Marketing title is valid for a year only. If they want to renew it, graduates are required to earn points by talking in conferences, practicing digital and mentoring students in the program.

   Which could be the most important aspects that a digital marketer has to take into consideration? As far as Hans Eric Roxas-Chua, chief executive of E-Learning Edge is concerned, digital marketers should be able to think on their feet, considering the pace digital consumption and technology is growing, to be fast decision makers, to stay with the eyes opened to global trends while observing what works best on local plan.
    Because we have thought in many occasions during our classes how adaptation and innovation work in marketing, I think that talking about the new expertise areas for professionals, that become more and more specialized, is just bringing another example for adaptation to the market needs nowadays.

IIDM partners include the Marketing and Opinion Research Society of the Philippines, Philippines Association of National Advertisers, Philippine Marketing Association, Philippine Retailers Association, Public Relations Society of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University.

Source: Oliver Bayani, Marketing - interactive, http://www.marketing-interactive.com/news/39494

Raluca Apetrei

The polemic of Ikea´s new campaign

I´m sure the 99% of the Ikea´s advertisements are successful.  Ikea is not only a design and decoration company; its marketing campaigns are very famous and successful too, and lots of time, they play the “teachers” rolls to communication students.

Talking about the variety and the successful of the advertisements, is talking about Ikea. In fact, one of the characteristics of its fame is thanks to its marketing campaigns.

However, the success of Ikeas marketing campaigns is not the 100%, and although the negative results are few, sometimes there are. And this is exactly an example of non success advertisements. 

The new advertisement about the garden is becoming very conflictive in lots of countries. I only have to say that in Antena 3, one of the most important TV channels of Spain, the new advertisement of Ikea is one of the most important news of the day.

Personally I don´t think that Ikea´s new campaign is violent and that creates negative influence in the society, but lots of people is not in favour with me, because the Advertising Standards Authority already received more than 50 complains.

I don´t thinks that the advertisement causes negative ideas in the society. I think is a funny way to transmit the information, a fresh way to tell the story. We are not used to see these kind of advertisements, but sometimes, is good to break the routine and prove new things.

I´m sure that the big communication group of Ikea wanted to find something new, and after having lots of ideas, they decided to choose this one because is different.  We have to be open to new things and take the changes in a positive way.

Maite Salaberria

What are the most shared ads of the year so far?

Yes, there's someone who keeps track of the number of shares on social networks. Viral Video Chart made a Top20 which includes the most shared videos of this year so far. The number of views for each video has not been taken into account and the number of shares starts from 400.000 and goes up to almost 4.000.000.

The third place (2,706,794 shares) goes to an emotional commercial about friendship, broadcasted at the famous Super Bowl.

 Budweiser - The Clydesdales Brotherhood

The second place (2,755,024 shares) is occupied by a funny for some, silly for others commercial for Kmart, that announces a new service.

Kmart - Ship My Pants

Without any surprise I might say, the first place goes to Dove and their inspiring approach on beauty (3,858,452 shares). Although "Business Insider" gave a scientific comeback for the brand's video, the viral keeps staying strong and popular. 

Dove - Real Beauty Sketches

The rest of the chart can be found on the Viral Video Chart website.

Alexandra Marta

Senador Volstead : Prohibited Beer

It is difficult to launch a beer by hiding it. The Spanish beer Senador Volstead tries it with this creative social media campaign. Working or not, just ask yourself: Would you have the patience to go to the end and do you think the awareness to the brand is now higher?

Its name comes from Senator Volstead, known as the father of the Prohibition act in USA, during the 20′s. It inspired Cheil Spain, which decided to play with it. If you go to SenadorVolstead.com you will find a website dedicated to some cute handcrafted Teddy Bears.

Now, if you resize the window of your browser, the html5 website will redefine the content and reveal materials about the handcrafted beer. From bear to beer…

You can even order some bottles which will be delivered hidden in a soft toy.

Here is a video case study :

source: http://www.adverblog.com/2013/05/28/senador-volstead-prohibited-beer/

Sina Sommerfeld

False advertisement

Last week I read a very interesting article on advertising. Indeed, this article by Karlee Weinmann and Kim Bhasin shows that many companies do not always use advertising wisely. Moreover, images and facts are sometimes modified or amplified in order to make believe something to viewers. However, these practices generate a lot of risk, such as prosecution for a large sum of money. In some cases, I feel that companies take advantage of people’s naivety. In other cases, they use a vocabulary or facts that are more scientific in order to give the impression of a more advanced technology. For example, Activia touting its nutritional benefits while other yogurts on the market are very similar. This demonstrates how the advertiser benefits from the ignorance of people by using terms that are not known to the public. On the other hand, the new balance sneakers are a good example of a situation where the owner takes the public for idiots. That said, I will let you read the article and see that the companies cited, are known companies that we often see in our daily lives. Advertising therefore has advantages, but we must deal with some reluctance to avoid having to do with advertisements rigged or false.

Source : http://www.businessinsider.com/false-advertising-scandals-2011-9?op=1

Sophie Marcoux

Stromae drunk in Brussels create the buzz

Hey Erasmus,

I am sure you already know Stromae, a Belgian singer-songwriter. He has distinguished himself in both hip hop and electronic music. He first became famous with the song "Alors on danse" which remained at number one for several weeks in numerous countries throughout Europe.

He's now preparing his second album.
Last week he was recording his clip in Brussels. For that, he had to play a drunken guy at 8AM in Brussels. A passer-by record it (without to know that it was for recording for its clip) and all the Belgians's newspapers release the information that Stromae was drunk in Brussels at 8am and as you can see (on the movie) even the cops have believed it .

2 days after, he publishes his new clip. And newspapers have realized that they published a wrong information. And it's now makingthe buzz on the social media.
Enjoy this new Stromae's song (with English subtitle)...and share it with your friends!

By Brice Visart

Energy companies are able too to impress people

Is possible to impress people if you are an energy company? How can an energy Company impress people? The Brazilian electric company AES did it!

The energy is something common for the people, something that we use to have a better life, something that we use in our dairy life, something necessary. But with this marketing campaign the Dim&Canzian agency show that even if the most common and simple things can excite and impress people.

With the “Light posts projectors: sharing the best stories of life through our energy” slogan, the Brazilian company created a very successful campaign. The idea was to ask to the customers their personal stories and where they happen, and after to project that stories in the same place with a light.

The reaction of their customers where really positive, and it was possible to see some different stories in different streets during the nights.

The results of the campaign were really successful, and it became internationally famous.

This campaign shows us that Is possible to get everything by having good intentions and ideas.

 

 

Maite Salaberria

 

The 20 Most Valuable Brands In The World

Last time in the Branding lesson, we talked about the most powerful brands. 

Here is the ranking of the 20 most valuable brands for the year 2013, based on their financial informations and on the consumers' sentiments. 

01. Apple ($185 billion)
02. Google ($113,7 billion)
03. IBM ($112,5 billion)
04. McDonald's ($90,3 billion)
05. Coca-Cola ($78,4 billion)
06. AT&T ($75,5 billion)
07. Microsoft ($69,8 billion)
08. Marlboro ($69,4 billion)
09. Visa ($56 billion)
10. China Mobile ($55,4 billion)
11. General Electric ($55,3 billion)
12. Verizon ($53 billion)
13. Wells Fargo ($47,7 billion)
14. Amazon ($47,7 billion)
15. UPS ($42,7 billion)
16. ICBC ($41,1 billion)
17. Vodafone ($39,7 billion)
18. Walmart ($36,2 billion)
19. SAP ($34,36 billion)
20. MasterCard ($27,8 billion)

Léa Vinel

Music Every Day

The new campaign for Apple's iPhone 5 caught my attention by taking a completely different approach than the brand's previous advertisements. Instead of illustrating the cellphone's specifications, this campaign foccuses on one of it's most important features - the music player - stating that everyday, more people enjoy music on their iPhone than on any other phone. 

This message helps to strengthen Apple's identity, a brand known worldwide for its music players (iPod), while positioning iPhone 5 in the market, as not only a phone, but a phone where music plays an important role, directing it for all the music lovers who want to carry their favorite songs wherever they go. 

Below you can see the difference between iPhone 5's first commercial, which demonstrates it's huge amount of functions, therefore, it's versatility; and the new campaign, which portrays people in their regular lives, using the iPhone 5 as their music player of choice. 

Inês Sá

How social media is used by marketers?

I came across this 2013 Social Media Marketing report from USA that reveals many interesting things about how social media is used by marketers. In the report you can found out what kind of social media platforms are used, how and why. Also future of social media marketing is discussed and much more.

Here are three points that I found interesting:

1. Youtube holds the top spot for the future plans. 69 % of marketers are focusing their social media marketing future plans to Youtube. Does this means that pictures are already considered to be “old” thing in marketing. I think yes and no. I mean right know pictures are still very popular and nice but if I would be a marketer I would definitely put my money on videos and platforms like Youtube. Everybody loves visual things and when something is visual and pretty and then on the top of that moving, success is guaranteed. Video is the future.
2.  Marketers want to learn about blogging. 62 % of marketers would like learn more about blogging and use it in their social media marketing. I was a bit surprised by this. I mean blogging become a big thing already a few years ago but apparently it is still doing strong. Maybe marketers are smart and they will focus on video-blogging on the future :)
3.  Marketers are not sure about whether their facebook marketing is effective. I totally get this. Does “liking” in facebook actually led to any kind of behavior? I mean more people know about you but there are also others channels to get that same publicity. On the other hand the report also revealed that number one benefit of social media marketing is to get to be more known. So is facebook a social media marketing channel that offers only coverage or is there more to it?

 You should definitely read the report! Lots of interesting stuff there. You can find it here: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2013/

-Elli Antikainen

Mystery, as a brand ingredient

There's no secret that popular singers and bands have behind them complex marketing strategies that are meant to transform them into brands. Some of them choose to cultivate the mystery around their name or appearance and the elaborate nature of their disguise may cause some eyebrows to raise at first, but at the same time, it keeps people guessing and adds to the artists' popularity.
This is the case for the French duo Daft Punk. Its members went to great lengths to avoid showing their faces to the public. They usually hide behind robot helmets and when not wearing disguises, they occasionally prefer to be replaced by animation, to have their faces digitally obscured for press kits or to be interviewed with their backs turned.
The iconic status of their robotic costumes has been compared to the makeup of the rock band Kiss or the leather jacket worn by Iggy Pop, so there's no wonder people want to look like them, even though their masks could hardly be integrated in a day to day outfit. Since there's a huge hype these days around their new single "Get Lucky", a collaboration with Pharrell Williams, I propose to you a Wall Street Journal article that shows what efforts the die-hard fans would make, just to have a Daft Punk helmet:

Fans lose their heads in pursuit of Daft Punk helmets

 

Alexandra Marta

Image source: http://uimusicblog.com