Monthly Archives: October 2013

The Bees on my Vine!

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Companies like Sephora, Gap, General Electric and Volkswagen have been posting 6 second short clips on the new social media tool, Vine. One of the recent additions is Burt’s Bees, a personal care products company dedicated to promoting Earth friendly skin and body creams.

The brand made a series of clips around literary themes like Little Women, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Moby Dick, The Scarlet Letter, Julius Caesar, Gulliver’s Travels and Metamorphosis.

https://vine.co/v/hXXmjUL6Z1X ,https://vine.co/v/hXH2z96bMEF

How did they film it?

Classic Burt’s Bees products were actually costumed into the characters. Stop motion was used to film on an iphone. The clips then were tweeted to Burt’s Bees followers.

What is with the literary theme?

Burt’s Bees felt that these novels were classic and timeless just like their products. Everyone enjoyed these tales and they hoped that this would also apply to their products.

Why on Vine?

The company wanted to test out Vine as a new platform to reach its consumers. They already have Instagram, Facebook and Twitter platforms.

I personally think that the clips were kind of funny and weird but they weren’t something amazing or evocative.  I could not figure out the connection between classic novels and their classic products. It seemed to me that they were just doing it for fun. I also felt that the company was just trying to inject a bit of humor to their brand and nothing more. Maybe Burt’s Bees can improve their vine clips to be more informative and evocative of that feeling of natural and wholistic beauty…

On the other hand, vine clips which I really love are Cadbury and Etsy. Links below!

https://vine.co/v/bQPPxZKQD0t

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/57256-10-Brands-on-Vine

http://mashable.com/2013/09/06/vine-brands/

Some more Burt’s Bees Vines:

http://digiday.com/brands/burts-bees-vines-the-classics-in-six-seconds/

What do you think of the #6SecondClassics? Yay or Nay? Feel free to share any vine clips of popular brands which you think are noteworthy!

Celebrities and Mean Tweeting

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It is interesting how Twitter users can say the funniest things and also the meanest.  This is precisely why Jimmy Kimmel made a segment called “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets”. Famous actors and actresses are instructed to read real rude tweets about themselves in front of a camera. Their reactions range from pissed to shocked and utter disbelief.

It is kind of amusing to see their reactions to the harsh criticisms about them. The things that people say are so horrible – one that I would never dare say in person. To think that they have done nothing wrong against these users, and be called trash or having horse teeth is unacceptable but when read out loud kind of entertaining.  This whole thing gives us an idea of people’s tendency to hate on celebrities and those in Hollywood.

I believe that the behavior of celebri-hating on Twitter should have limits. Twitter wasn’t created to spread hate and criticism. Tweeters need to understand boundaries between humorous banter and insensitive remarks otherwise tweeting would not be a fun and engaging activity anymore.

Some examples:

 

 

Here are the links for Jimmy Kimmel’s Mean Tweet Segments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRBoPveyETc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu5Oo23G67w

What are your thoughts on these mean tweets? People hiding behind Twitter accounts? Just for fun or just rude? Feel free to comment and share your insights!

http://masey.co/2013/06/celebrities-read-mean-tweets/

Twitter Wars

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In this digital age, wars are not only fought with bullets and guns and bombs and missiles but with words. Words can make or break the reputation of a company in a single comment of a disappointed customer or a tweet from an overly zealous fan. Twitter feuds, in particular, have become a popular issue because they show a ‘fun’ and different side of the company. The tweets stray away from the usual promotion messages and playfully make fun of other brands. It is very entertaining to see the hashtags and the creative tweets these companies come up with. I have gotten a list of the top 5 Twitter feuds from Mashable.com.

http://mashable.com/2013/10/12/twitter-brand-feuds/

I especially love the Kit-Kat vs. Oreo one. Could not have thought of a better way for Oreo to retaliate than eating the Kit-Kat of the tic tac toe.

 

 

I believe that consumers love this kind of friendly banter because it gives a human personality to the brand. Instead of being seen as too corporate, these tweets soften the image and use good old humor to connect with its fans.

Which companies would you like to see battle it out on Twitter? Feel free to comment!

Additional Sources:

http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/4_lessons_from_brand_feuds_on_Twitter_46486.aspx

 

Viral Videos…Some of my Fave

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I have always enjoyed looking at different viral marketing campaigns of companies. It is interesting to see how creative and unique brands can get to capture the interests of its consumers. I believe it is that perfect mix of humor and wit which creates a lasting impact and makes viewers want to hit that ‘share’ button. Jonah Berger, an assistant marketing professor at the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and New York Times bestselling author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On believes that viral marketing’s success is based on 6 key principles namely STEPPS (Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories).  I agree that Triggers and Emotion are significant factors which make viral videos instant hits. I am a sucker for the Dove series of advertisements which focus on inner beauty and loving every part of your body. It is empowering as an individual and as a woman.

Below is a list of my top 3 for best viral videos in no particular order:

1. Dove Real Beauty Sketches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XpaOjMXyJGk

Dove conducted a social experiment wherein they hired a forensic artist to sketch people. It explored how women view their own beauty in contrast to what others see them as.

2. Child of the 90’s Microsoft Explorer

Microsoft Explorer made a beautiful video of all the childhood memories of Generation Y from playing with the trolls, Tamagochi keychains, yoyos to water guns and those plastic hippos. It is a great short clip which makes you reminisce about the old days.

3.  How It Feels through Google Glass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v1uyQZNg2vE

Google created a short video of how people would use Google Glass in their daily lives. It demonstrated how videos and pictures can be taken in the most intimate and spectacular moments of any individual’s life. I especially liked the part in the end where the Google Glass user shared his majestic view of the air balloons to his girlfriend.

What are some of your favorite viral videos? Feel free to share them and comment below!

Sources:

http://www.adweek.com/news-gallery/advertising-branding/10-most-viral-ads-2013-so-far-149832#google-how-it-feels-through-glass-10

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/04/25/jonah-berger-how-to-make-your-marketing-campaigns-go-viral/