The Finch Post

Brand New Rap

Last week two iconic couples from history went head to head in a fierce duel. Fathers of Flight, the Wright Brothers, took on Donkey Kong’s nemeses, the Mario Brothers in a truly epic rap battle.

Like any great viral video, this one grabs viewers’ attention, holds it, and then induces an emotional reaction. But it does much more than that. This video is an example of brilliant collaboration and cross-promotion.

A joint project of Rhett & Link, and Nice Peter & Epic Lloyd, this collaboration works because it follows the same principles that should guide all businesses when pursuing strategic partnerships:

1. The relationship increases the value of each participant
2. It helps all parties extend their reach

In this specific case, the comedians were able to get in front of each other’s fans in order to promote their own brand, and despite the laughs, that’s no joke.

 

The Art of the Product Demo

You must read this article and watch the video below. We are driven to share it, which is the entire point of the article. The writer tries to dissect the reasoning behind this video's “viralness” and to ascertain what brands can learn from it. For us, it makes us think about how to make the demonstration of any product as entertaining as possible. The product demonstrated in this video is a person – an impressionist to be precise; and the product demonstration couldn’t be more brilliantly conceived or executed.

 

 

 

The Amazing (but not all encompassing) Power of Facebook

In much of the social media buzz, it has been suggested that a presence on Facebook is replacing the need for a company website. But for a few rare cases; not from where we sit. For many businesses, the strengths of Facebook just don't jibe with a company's primary online objectives. For example, f-Commerce (sales transacted through Facebook) has yet to take hold; therefore, a Facebook page is not at all a replacement option for the traditional e-commerce website. Moreover, because the world of social media is so fluid, we would be hard pressed to recommend to anyone (regardless of industry or category) to link their entire digital presence to a platform that could become obsolete, like its predecessor (which was also unthinkable not too long before it happened). The emergence of Google+ at least serves as a warning that as ubiquitous as Facebook is, it's not free from threat.

Nevertheless, we remain enthusiastic advocates of Facebook and its role in a company's digital portfolio. Harnessed the right way, there remains no better mechanism for community aggregation and direct customer dialog. Here are two examples of clients we've helped incorporate Facebook into their suite of brand building activities.

Our relationship with Hydros Bottle began with packaging design and grew from there as they sought to create awareness of their revolutionary self-filtering water bottle.  We designed their website, and then applied the brand feel to Facebook, allowing both properties to do what each does best.  While f-Commerce hasn't taken off yet, we're betting that it one day will, as illustrated by the shopping tab we designed on their Facebook page. First things first, we are looking to give Hydros the exposure they deserve, beginning with the over 25,000 likers we've attracted to the page in the first three months.

 

Free Country,  a very successful wholesale manufacturer, wanted to use Facebook as a means to engage in direct dialog with consumers for the first time. In the process, the company has attracted countless non-aware customers thrilled by the quality and value of Free Country products, and  shocked that they hadn't  known of them prior. Two months in, Free Country has over 15,000 new fans.

 

McDonald’s Summer Vacation

During summer vacation, a time when some advertisers are relaxing, McDonald’s shines like that over-achieving first born.  One might wonder why McDonald’s has to be Valedictorian, class president, and prom queen!  There may even be those who wonder why  McDonald's bother to advertise much at all. The truth is – McDonald’s stays on top because they constantly work at it.  Not only refreshing their advertising to strengthen their brand, but re-inventing just how the message gets to their audience.

Check out this article on Adweek.com: Play a Giant Game of Pong on This McDonald's Billboard

DDB Stockholm and McDonald’s are challenging all comers to a giant game of McPong. Imagine table tennis meets Wii in Times Square using your smartphone. A huge interactive billboard allows you to play a McDonald’s version of ping pong, right from your smartphone in the public’s view.  The better you are at the game, the more rewards.  Last 30 seconds in a game and win McDonald’s coupons.

This idea may be expensive but the interaction is right and very possible for other advertisers.  Working outside of the box is free.  It means constantly working to be the best and working to remain the leader.  It’s about knowing your brand and taking bigger chances.  It’s about working through an idea and making it a reality.

The impact it has is impressive – creating a powerful interactive buzz, writ large in the public square and spreading virally via smart phone and social media. And while they’re at it – capturing participants’ mobile information. You see it, you interact, you play, you win, and you remember McDonald’s.

(No pressure at all to the “beach bums of advertising” out there, none at all.)

 

Much Ado About LinkedIn

Fast Company Article 

Recently, much has been made about LinkedIn’s returning us to the early part of the century with its IPO way back last week. The Fast Company link above does a nice job of framing what’s on the horizon for LinkedIn. We’re commenting here not about the company’s valuation – there are enough sources to evaluate the sense or non-sense of that. Rather, we are commenting on the connection this writer makes between the future performance of the stock and the company’s statement of vision, which reads as follows: “Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every professional in the world.” The section in the article entitled, “How to avoid fizzling out,” expounds upon the developments LinkedIn would need to undertake in its product and customer relationships to bring to bear the reality of that vision, concluding that the sky is the limit for investors if it does. This is surely the way we view business; though we are all too aware that the short term interests of the public markets can often hinder a company’s ability to create long-term value through acting as a visionary. It will be interesting to see how LinkedIn navigates these waters in the coming months and years. In the meantime, nice vision statement!  

Impress your neice.

Courtesy of Mashable.