Cloud Marketing

Content without walls.

Platform and channel independence. That’s the killer app of the content marketing world. We’re looking for content that can live in any environment and not only survive but prosper.

Technology per usual is ahead of marketing. The buzz word of the last five years has been “cloud computing”.

“We’re all in.“

Cloud computing is a way of computing, via the Internet, that broadly shares computer resources instead of using software or storage on a local PC.

Microsoft has bet its future on this technology. You can find it being used to distribute .torrents, ease the pressure on servers and scale up and down appropriately. They’re “all in”, so why haven’t content creators jumped on board?

Fear and a loss of control.

The cloud breaks down and distributes and disseminates bits of information so they can be reassembled later in a more complete narrative. Marketing needs to work and think in this same way.

We can’t rely on our customers being able to see the entirety of an integrated campaign anymore. They’re far more likely to see bits and pieces of content here and there and only have a brief encounter with your messaging.

Therefore, your content has to be both self-contained in messaging and link up to form a greater narrative.

Voltron marketing.

Siloed thinking isn’t intentional, it’s merely a result of people specializing around different mediums; the same hurdles that affect print are very different from those faced by those creating video content.

How do we remedy this sort of thinking? By using the .torrent model and embracing the cloud.

It’s not about one idea. It’s about hundreds of smaller ones. Each with their own benefits, downsides and nuances. If you are able to have these ideas form up into a larger whole? Then you have something worth taking to market.

Where do we go from here?

Start engineering for fully autonomous but interdependent content. (Yes, I’m aware that’s a mouthful.) The previous mode of operation has been to reverse engineer a larger idea and make it fit into places where it can’t survive. The 30-second spot doesn’t translate to a cellphone, nor should it.

Your ideas shouldn’t be restricted by mediums anymore. If they are? You’re already thinking the wrong way.

Cloud marketing: where the sum is an improvement on the various parts but not its entire purpose.

Why People Hate Your Viral Marketing

Viral marketing doesn’t exist unless your content actually goes viral. This is contrary to what countless advertising, production or guerrilla marketing companies will tell you. (Sorry guys.)

When a piece of marketing does go viral? It will either burn out fast and furious or enjoy infamy and adulation from its many fans.

What separates the two makes the difference between success and failure. After all, the message that your company sucks may go viral, but it doesn’t make you successful and will end up hurting you.

How can you avoid the pitfalls and dangers inherent with widespread impressions?

Listen and learn:

You stole.

Half the internet is stolen content. Possibly more. The recycling of content is an endless cycle and originality isn’t something that gets anyone offended (most hardly notice). The difference between Coca-Cola and Lyre567 ripping off content is a major issue though.

One is a huge conglomerate with countless resources. The other pirates movies in his studio apartment. Coca-Cola can probably pay someone to be original or at least acknowledge where the idea came from.

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

Case Study:
Now, nothing is original. However, does that mean that agencies can co-opt an important piece of a culture for their own ends? Inspiration or not, the decision by BBDO Mexico to use the exact concept is well, just stupid. Think it through kiddos. You aren’t just nibbling. You’re regurgitating. ~Agency Spy

You weren’t honest.

How many times does a production company have to shoot grainy “amateur” footage of a proposed viral before people realize that this is going to horrendously backfire? Great content can stand on its own merit. It doesn’t need to be watered down and made more grainy to appeal to the masses.

Note: This only applies to things that could technically be possible. Shawn Johnson jumping over a bobsled? Obviously fake and in the clear.

Case Study:

With all our talk about the brilliant viral marketing campaigns for movies like Funny People and District 9, I figured it would only be fair to point out that sometimes viral marketing schemes can also crash and burn. Case in point: this weak attempt at creating online buzz for the movie I Love You, Beth Cooper. ~ Film Junk

Your content sucked.

Not everything deserves to go viral. In fact? 99.9% of content that is out there doesn’t merit the originality to be created in the first place.

Just because you spent $5 million+ on something doesn’t instantly make it a success. Ask Michael Bay.

Case Study:

Unilever’s success with socially responsible Dove viral ads found resistance when a Youtube user made a mashup of the Dove ads and some of Unilever’s Axe commercials, which many consider sexist. Axe ads were used to show how on one hand the company objectifies women, while on the other, it pretends to care about the daughters of America. ~ Dan Zarrella

You pissed off the wrong people.

Anything worth doing content-wise is bound to upset a few people (possibly even a lot). The important things to remember? Don’t piss off your target demographic. Don’t pick on anyone who doesn’t deserve it. And most importantly? Don’t piss off 4chan.

There is a reason that Nazis have been the go to villain for the last 50+ years. Everybody hates them, even the ACLU.

Case Study:

If you weren’t following what was happening online this weekend (yes, yes, ok you’ve got a life) there was a Groundswell against Motrin’s latest viral advertisement that was rejected by mothers in Twitter, spread to blogs, and YouTube. I’m not a mom, so at first glance I didn’t understand the offense, but apparently, it was condescending to moms who perceived wearing babies in a sling as ‘fashionable’ accessory, and who didn’t wanted to be labeled as an ‘official mom’. The original video, which was trying to lean on the light side, took to many generalizations with mothers and resulted in a revolt capped by this backlash video. ~Jeremiah Owyang

You were intrusive.

This is the most important (and overlooked) aspect of viral marketing. Does it get in people’s way? Does it disrupt their morning commute? Does it take over your desktop?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions? Stop and rethink what you are doing. Will it be considered more trouble then it is actually worth?

Some content that is intrusive is unbelievable, innovative and kind of cool. Take this with a grain of salt though: I’m a marketer. If your content will lead to someone duct-taping all of their windows to avoid a zombie plague apocalypse? You might want to reconsider. (I’d still think it was awesome though.)

Toyota Campaign

Case Study:

It’s probably a bad idea to market to consumers by tricking them with practical jokes. It’s definitely a bad idea to make a consumer fear for her safety over a five day period because she thinks a stalker is coming after her. That’s why a woman in Los Angeles is suing Toyota for $10 million after being on the receiving end of a Punk’d-style stunt to promote the Toyota Matrix. ~The Consumerist

Good content stands on its own merit. You don’t need to pull off fancy tricks to make it fly. Simply doing something awesome is usually enough to get people to take notice.

In order to be successful: Seed, fertilize and tend to your content with care. Your effort should be worth it. Whether or not it takes off? Well, that’s an act of God or MSaleem.

Photo Credit: conskeptical

Do Meta Approaches Work?

Self-awareness is tricky, especially in pop culture. It creates both paradoxes and unique challenges for content creators. Is total originality a dying art? After all, even “new” television and movie media make constant use of cultural references to drive home a point. (Think Family Guy.)

Originality isn’t dead. It has just evolved beyond simple creation. Life is now meta.

What is Meta?

Recycling, remixing and riffing are now seen as legitimate forms of creative expression. An understanding of this phenomenon has lead to a rise in self-aware or “meta” content. Some examples of this type of content are Intel’s Rockstar’s campaign, the Windows 7 Launch video and the Toyota Tacoma WoW tie in. The most common usage of meta content is video but it recently has been spreading to a variety of other mediums.

But does it work?

Yes, but not always in the way that you would think. Meta comes from a conversational approach to content. It’s a living, breathing organism that can’t be boxed off from commenting, remixing or engagement with an audience.

Often, some of the most successful meta content calls attention to the lameness or ridiculousness of their premise. Self-deprecation has helped spawn some of the Internet’s funniest memes, so why can’t it spur on your marketing?

Can meta approaches work in a community setting?

They have to. Calling attention to an “inside joke” from a community not only leads to a feeling of solidarity but is more likely to convert. Think of it as hyper-contextualized content for your audience. You aren’t going after regions anymore; you are going after individual ip’s.

The key is not pandering.

What can meta do for your marketing?

A meta approach to marketing is necessary for any community based approach. If you aren’t self aware and in-tune with your community’s idiosyncrasies? How can you expect to engage them effectively? The simple answer: You can’t.

A meta sensibility allows for a fair amount of ridiculousness.

What if it fails?

You run the risk of failure with any marketing program. A meta approach to marketing is no different. Stray to far into a niche and you risk alienating the majority of your community. If you keep the content too broad and you run the risk of mediocrity.

The same is true with self deprecation. Pointing out your weaknesses can be risky (especially from a brand perspective) and backfire. You won’t earn the respect of your customer base if you don’t try though.

Now it’s your turn: What’s the best example of meta-marketing (or content) you have seen?

Photo Credit: dalangalma

Engaging the Voyeurs

“90-9-1″

One of my favorite statistics about communities is the one above which refers to the level of engagement in most online communities.

The user break down of the statistic looks like this: 90% lurk, 9% contribute from time to time and 1% are heavily active (or 1% Creators, 9% Editors and 90% Audience). This means that the bulk of your traffic and clickthroughs come from people that are just here to check out your community.

How to do you engage with someone who by their very nature is passive?

Adjust and plan accordingly.

Behavior is not something that can be changed easily. Humans as social creatures create and thrive on routine. Thus, if someone is a lurker? They likely will remain this way. You need to go in with the understanding that you are not going to be able to engage this audience the same way that you engage your normal commenters/community members.

Open the Gates.

What’s easier? Tweeting or writing a comment? The tweet is something that takes far less effort and is much less of a thought out decision. You don’t have to think to retweet. The same can be said with uploading a picture, leaving a reply or cutting and pasting a section of the post to share with your friends.

Lower your barriers for entry into your community. Allow members to scale their engagement in ways that they feel comfortable with. Most community members will

Scale Your Content.

You don’t have to talk about the quantum mechanics in every post. Really, it’s alright! Sometimes, stepping back and taking a new look at an old problem can serve both your newer readers AND your existing ones.

Figure out what problems you’ve been having and try and work through them out loud in your blog. Works wonders for me.

Reward Positive Behavior.

You need to reward participation every time it happens. Thus, always follow-up with a first time commenter via email, tweet or comment back (at a bare minimum).

However, don’t sacrifice your community at the expense of your core members. Remember, they are the people who built your community into what it is today.

Always Have a Call to Action.

End each post with a simple, relevant call to action. I’ll follow my own advice at this point: What other ways can you think of to engage voyeurs and improve your own community?

Photo Credit: gerlos

Real Creativity Occurs in a Box, Not Outside It

If the web has proven anything? It has proven this simple tenet:

Ideas don’t make you creative. Limitations do.

Anyone can create something amazing when they aren’t confined by the burdens of execution and reality. True geniuses, create something amazing with the tools and restrictions that they are given.

This process of refining, strengthening and working around obstacles is what separates people who get paid to think creatively and those that just think they can.

The world has changed.

We don’t have to view a 30-sec spot. We don’t have to view a print ad. We don’t even have to look at a billboard.

We have to check our email. We have to track business in real time. We have to find data instantly.

We have to go online.

It’s this key difference in thinking that may have finally broken the back of traditional advertising. The ability to share, embed and distribute mass amounts of content independently makes all but the best content disappear in the nether.

The internet is not the best medium for “pure” creativity. It may eventually become it. It isn’t now. You are restricted to certain parameters in order to ensure functionality.

Great content is a part of the equation. But that’s just it: it’s a part.

The world has flipped on its head: TV, Radio and OLA are now supporting players to digital and public relations strategy. Community management and design will eventually take a seat at the big kids table as well.

(Digital and PR strategy includes: Search, Engagement, API usage, User Experience and Community.)

No one cares if you have a great idea if it doesn’t work or they can’t find it.

2009 is over, social communication won.

2010 is the year of community.

But creativity is always in style.

Photo Credit: lastmariner

The Creative Seed

Nothing can truly be “designed” for the mass market anymore and be considered a success. To go after the masses you now need to cater to the individual.

The level of customization and expectation of product quality is such that it doesn’t behoove you to meet everyone’s expectations. If you try and please everybody? You will end up pleasing no one.

While this may seem counter intuitive? Bear with me:

Creativity is no longer about the final product. It’s about the inspiration and conversation starter.

Inspiration is now the desired outcome of a product launch or marketing campaign. A company needs to provide a spark, the crowd can do the rest.

The customer needs to have a hand in the decision making and creative process. By doing so you can create true evangelism, dedication to the improvement of the product and cut costs all at the same time.

“Rapid-iteration”¹ is going to become the new norm for products for better or worse.

The model for releasing software and video games already works on this basic model. The company releases game to a players beta test, augment and suggest improvements, then launches the game to the general public. All along the way, players, programmers and the software company are improving the final product.

What makes this model sustainable? Most programmers/players don’t have the money to invest in building, seeding and putting the creative thought into a powerful gaming engine and storyline. What do they have? Time and lots of it. Thus they can augment, tweak and improve the game to their liking.

Player based content and creativity can add years to a game’s life span. Why can’t this same philosophy be tied into marketing and community driven exercises?

It can and it will.

Crowdsourcing is going to be baked into every single creative push going forward. How could it not be? It’s cheap, sustainable and can build on and increase the power of your initial idea. The key is being able to effectively influence, understand and direct the creation of the product/marketing materials.

The new task for creation is simple but requires a fundamental paradigm shift: move to inspiring and inciting for activation instead of pure creation. The more customization and ability to tweak your content? The stickier the content will become.

Come up with a great idea. Create a model/demo. Allow the crowd to execute and riff off of it. This is the future of the creative model.

Photo Credit: israel-avila

¹ MDurwin

Open or Closed? The Future of Ad Engagement

Contextual advertising is nothing new.

In fact, technically all advertising is contextual. Starting with the very first print ad to the latest social engagement platform. Each ad is targeted with information, programming or entertainment that the content’s audience would find relevant. How else would Harry Crane have a job?

Advertising isn’t dead. In fact, if anything it is becoming more effective and cost efficient. Any ad you can engage with, benefit from and utilize effectively is a success (unless no one clicks on it).

Segmentation and estimates allow you to get a picture of how successful your efforts are. As time as gone on this has gotten more and more sophisticated as algorithms, analysis and numbers have taken precedence over creativity in the advertising hierarchy. The true era of measurement is finally coming into vogue.

With analytics and conversion running the show the engagement and stickiness of the content has become that much more important. This being said? True contextual semantic advertising is still in its infancy.

However, we’ve all had an ad hit a little to close to home on Facebook. We get a sneaking suspicion that the powers that be really are watching all of us and tracking our every move. As a marketer I geek out and celebrate it as a massive step forward in targeting.

The next battleground to be waged? The open web. At the moment, the most advanced contextual ads rely on gated communities like Facebook or Myspace. They aren’t going to broadcast to anyone that isn’t logged in. This is a major problem for both communities.

The beauty of the social web is that it is all connected. The closed community is dying (regulated industries excluded) and the open source model is even being embraced by Facebook and Google (See both versions of Connect).

Where does this leave semantic advertising then? The benefit and success of the ads within the networks was from the massive amounts of data collected from the users. Without context? The ads just become weak engagement opportunities and won’t be very successful (ask Youtube who now allows you to skip pre-roll).

This is why when you look at Facebook and Google’s decision to go to a more open format and integrate “Connect” options the move makes a whole lot more sense. They aren’t just providing convenience, they are capturing and examining relevant data so they can push out and make their ads more effective and live in more places.

The next big step I expect to see in semantic ads: Engagement Ad Outposts.

Content is already embeddable anywhere on the web. Why can’t ads be dropped in, capture semantic data, and monetize effectively? This would be a sort of penultimate affiliate/semantic engagement experience. The ads could eventually become based off of a primitive AI.

The opportunities for technology and content intersection are off the charts once you start realizing the potential raw data that you could hook into for targeting.

Now let’s go play in the sandbox and build something awesome.

Photo Credit: houseofsims

Why Ridiculousness is Sticky

If you catch me sitting on the subway or out running, I am most likely glued to my iPod listening to some music. I definitely cannot go on a run without having music blasting through my headphones.

When I run, practically the only thing I listen to is mashups. Mashups, or the mixing of different songs with each other, always seem to keep me more motivated than listening to one entire song at a time. Perhaps it is the unpredictability of the music, but I can run for miles listening to some of my favorite mashups .

That’s probably why I find Auto-Tune the News so appropriate to the new ways we receive and discuss news. Auto-Tune the News is a political comedy web series featured on YouTube released every few weeks featuring the ever-popular auto-tune found in practically every pop song. The videos are made by the Gregory Brothers, several siblings living in Brooklyn who have an eye for political commentary and auto-tune. I see Auto-Tune the News the video version of a mashup.

Yes, the videos are a little crazy. Gorillas dancing, Katie Couric singing, Joe Biden in space, and a lot of awkward pauses. But with our retweet and reblogging culture, it is not surprising that music or video mashups, particularly with timely relevance, can become popular. In a time when fans truly define brands, organizations, and even politicians, mashups and remixes of content can redefine or remix a message.

This is exactly what John Palfrey and Urs Gasser discussed in their book “Born Digital.” Digital natives, according to Palfrey and Gasser, are best suited to be at the forefront of finding new ways to express themselves online, and are often doing so through mashups. Palfrey and Gasser say that,

“The creative revolution in cyberspace is not only about who gets to say what to whom. It is about the question of who gets to control the shaping of culture, the making of ‘meaning.’ “

So, even though mashups and videos such as Auto-Tune may seem trivial, they are truly reshaping how we view music and news creation. Remixes and mashups create new meaning, even when they are at the intersection of politics and auto-tune.

-Carla

Photo Credit: fixe