The future is magnetic
By Anthony Wolch, ECD, Organic
Digital is a dynamic storytelling medium, but has its potential been fully realized? Yes, digital storytelling has made strides, thanks to a grassroots movement that helps people tell their own stories. But if one lacks a compelling story, no amount of Flash will help you polish the turd.
Consumers happily skip over robotic marketing-speak waddling across laptops and mobile devices; they expect to be entertained or enlightened, rewarded for spending time with the brand. The onus is on everyone to deliver better experiences wrapped in stories that make audiences laugh, and want to share.
This is why brands must embrace magnetic storytelling, the art of telling immersive stories born out of deep human insights. Magnetic stories can be polarizing, some will find them illuminating, while others may be repelled. And that swirl of passion or controversy creates a level of engagement that would be hard to replicate with a banner ad.
Take Nike Canada’s Olympic campaign featuring Steve Dangle, a hockey blogger/authority. Nike sought to engage hockey-obsessed teens, but instead of issuing prattle on “the next one,” Nike unleashed “Dangle’s Angle,” sending Steve to Vancouver to uncover real stories of young hockey players. The resulting stories – which traditional media had no access to – were featured on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Nike’s website, and spread magnetically, dramatically spiking traffic on Niketraining.ca.
There has never been a more exciting time to be in the business
of storytelling.
Viva la iAd revolution
By Michael Gramlow, CD, Lollipop
In the same way that Apple has forced dramatic change in the mobile device market, the launch of their iAd platform will similarly revolutionize not just mobile but also web advertising.
Advertisers are saddled with lacklustre, outdated standards when developing online and mobile ads; there is little, if any, innovation, which is a great money-saver for publishers. But it’s not so great for advertisers trying to reach time-starved consumers. And so, here we are with the much maligned and openly hated banner ad as the baseline of many online or mobile efforts.
It’s platforms like iAd that will really shake things up. Sure, it’s an iPhone-specific offering. But if the past is any guide, when Apple gets something right, it has far-reaching implications. And if Apple has set their sights on revolutionizing advertising, we’ll see entire industries playing catch-up.
Seeing iAd in action (YouTube it) makes it very clear that this should be happening not just on all mobile devices but also on computers. We’ll see ads that are much richer, almost app-like experiences. A car ad, for example, might have videos, detailed vehicle features, the ability to find a dealer, etc. – all from within the ad. Advertisers can and should demand that their creative and media dollars get spent on engaging consumers with much richer, app-like experiences – whatever type of device the consumer is using.
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