Branded Maps: Girls can now have a good sense of direction

Generally speaking, girls have been stereotyped as having a horrible sense of direction. I, unfortunately enough, am one of those type of girls.

Take the following scenario for example:
J (my boyfriend) & I have to bring relatives out for dinner at Guu Original, a japanese izakaya in Downtown. So naturally, my relatives ask for directions on how to get there.

J: Walk down Robson and turn left on Thurlow
Me: It’s next to Banana Republic!!

Now for some weird reason, many prefer J’s directions over mine!  I now know how to push everyone onto the same wavelength as me. I shall distribute these brand maps in future whenever people ask me for directions:

Now everyone will understand me when I say walk pass Victoria Secret, H&M, Zara and Levi’s, turn right at Bloomingdales and meet me at Subway!

Branded landmarks are often the most easily identifiable things around us, so using stores and restaurants to find our way around should be nothing new. No wonder I’m a marketer. Even unconsciously, I’m portraying how powerful branding can be. Being able to know exactly what’s around you with a quick look at a map can be a huge timesaver.

CityMaps, the creator of these branded maps has gained a fair share of attention for using business names and logos to map out cities. The internet has changed marketing. The internet is social. Cities are social, and now – maps are too!

Isn’t it amazing how branding can evolve so much?

 

Psychology behind online consumer behaviour

When thinking about e-marketing or e-commerce, one must consider what consumer behaviour is like online as opposed to assuming behaviour stays as it is in the offline world. While the differences may not be stark, the online setting changes the dynamics of the game. The following infographic explains how and why people shop online:

Infographic by TabJuice

Consumers’ habits to look unto others for advice is a big reason why brands need to foster a community online. Brand ambassadors, advocates and an active community all help encourage others to take interest in the brand.

Word of mouth is becoming increasing important and this is only amplified on the WWW. This “under-the-radar” kind of marketing allows brands to cut through the clutter in a credible manner because they get to utilize networks of friends and family. You may not want to read some company paid blogger’s views on soft drinks, but it’s hard to turn away if your best friend recommends a particular brand.

Bloggers are an interesting twist. While there is often ambiguity as to whether or not a blogger has been sponsored (paid) to advertise a certain brand, many bloggers provide that perfect balance in the sense that we look up to them like a celebrity but feel as if they are our friend. Many take bloggers as an upward social comparison. That’s key because these are people we trust and feel have the knowledge or expertise to make right decisions.

Key Takeaways:
When creating an online marketing plan, remember that:

  1. Consumers value the opinion of others, especially those they know and those with authority.
  2. People are wired to share (so use tools that enable users to repost your content easily – e.g. Facebook “share”, Pinterest “Pin it”, Tumblr “Reblog”)
  3. People have a tendency to group with and trust those that share similar interest

Project Re:Brief

This year, Internet advertising turns 18 years old. For the longest time, Internet has been used to inform, and not used as much to engage and connect. Google however is attempting to change that and take it to a whole new level.

If there is anything that reassures me that marketing is where I want to be, this is it. To me, marketing is not just about inventing new ideas but also about re-inventing novel ones.

Marrying the best of the old and the best of the new can be so inspirational. It’s the perfect mix of refreshing and nostalgia. Re-imagining an iconic idea and bringing it to life with modern technology helps to push the boundaries of advertising. Sometimes we get so caught up with the new trends, the new technology and “jazz” that we forget the raw underlying idea behind a marketing campaign. But Google, together with Coca Cola, mixes ideas and technology so beautifully.

I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but this video really does inspire me! I hope it encourages you to look at ideas and marketing in a new perspective!

HootSuite: social media made easy

With social media becoming increasingly vital in a brand’s marketing strategy, marketers are finding themselves juggling (and struggling with) multiple accounts across a whole array of networks. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Foursqure… the list just continues! With so many statuses to update in a time crunch, organization is key.

HootSuite, a social media management tool, allows users to track campaigns and engage daily on various social media platforms. Its dashboard allows you to set up streams for the different types of content you want to monitor, including news feeds and mentions. These can then be organized via customizable tabs (e.g. account/content/specific hashtags). Batch scheduling is another useful tool that allows pre-schedule messages, which allows users to optimize peak traffic times.

The video below summarizes some of HootSuite’s features but there is just so much more you can do with it! There’s also built-in social analytic reports which weren’t covered in the video but is most definitely vital in a firm’s measure of success.

Social Media may be overwhelming but the trick is to prowl around the web to find resources to help you. Tricks and tips are easily available and tools like HootSuite helps make an otherwise daunting task much more streamlined! HootSuite does a great job at simplifying and focusing on key aspects of social media for you.

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