I think this is a perfect ad for Nike. The beauty is that I don’t even need to explain why.
I would like to see more guerrilla-style placements for Nike to inspire people in their daily lives. Nike+ is undoubtedly a great example of Nike behaving as a modern brand, but where else can they provide value to people? Maybe where they need the motivational boost to “just do it” while going through the motions.
I stumbled across The Something Store today and was surprised to find that it’s core purpose is to leverage the joy of surprise.
The way the site works is simple: send them $10 and they’ll send you something. What that something is a complete mystery. You’re only promised that it’ll at least be worth the money you sent.
Although the site experience is pretty poor, I think the idea behind this brand is interesting as it clearly leverages the power of mystery to drive it’s success.
Here’s the problem: it doesn’t look like The Something Store has had much. On their site, they reveal they’ve had about 60k sales since 2007. That’s not a lot. Still, the idea has led them to some great exposure with media companies like CNNMoney, Inc, Business Week and NPR.
Maybe the $10 commitment is too high for most people to commit. Maybe it’s not enough. Or maybe people just don’t want more things in an economy that’s shined a spotlight on our overconsumption. Regardless, I appreciate the brand has built mystery into it’s experience.
Good stuff from Umair Haque on why differentiation is an old way of thinking about marketing built for an industrial age. Modern brands, he argues, need to focus on providing greater meaning for consumers in the form of outcomes.
Loving this new Google Chrome experience commemorating Johnny Cash’s passing eight years ago.
Though I feel like I could go on and on about The Johnny Cash Project, one of the biggest things I notice with this is that when asking for consumer contributions, sometimes it makes sense to give them some restrictions in what can add. For example, each contributor adds to a frame of the music video through a set list of drawing options (like colors, fonts, shapes, etc.).
The benefit here, of course, is the quality of completed work. If you left it up to collaborative free reign, the end result might not be as pretty, and therefore, less satisfying or worthy of sharing.
There’s a store right near my place called Bodega that is a perfect example of a mysterious brand in action (see my deck for more thoughts on this).
For one, you’d never know that the store was called Bodega (or anything really) because there isn’t a sign outside the building. In fact, from the outside, the building looks anything but interesting. I bet most people shy away from its eerie look and the showcase of generic products in the windows. If you look closely, there’s everything from laundry detergent to jalapeno paste placard up front. Not you’re typical window shopping lures that’s for sure.
If you’re daring enough to go in, it’s just what you’d expect. The interior of the store is as cluttered and unappealing as you were lead to believe outside the door. Even the staff are as disinterested in you as you are with being there.
At this point, you’ll probably regret this decision and start heading towards the door. But on your way out, some young trendy kid will probably walk in on a mission. And that mission is a little strange. It’s to stand in front of the Snapple machine.
Straight out of Star Trek, the Snapple machine reveals that it’s actually an automatic door and whips to the side. And then it all comes together. There’s a back store. And it’s glorious.
Under a convenience store shell, Bodega is a high-end shopping experience focused on trendy shoes and other fashionable accessories. The sales staff are helpful and the selection is as unique as the store.
It’s only here that you might figure out what the store’s name even is – hinted in miscellaneous merchandise and on a salesperson’s business card.
There’s no doubt that this mystique is inherent in the brand’s appeal. The fashion offering is top notch (if you’re a sneaker freak), but you can likely find these shoes online. What arguably makes going to Bodega worth going to is that it’s an interesting experience. It’s a hidden gem. And at the end of the day, it surprises the hell out of you. Because of that, it’s worth talking about with friends because it’s genuinely remarkable.
Every day I walk by this store, there’s a line outside the front (which is the only reason I was enticed to go inside). Bodega’s experience is its marketing and they clearly recognize how the brand must behave to generate word of mouth.
I’m on the search for more mysterious brands and I think there’s more out there than we think. If you’ve got one to share, message me at @mattsummers or under “ask me anything” above.
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.
Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.”
This is an interesting read from Martin Lindstrom who talks about the need to really immerse ourselves with consumers - beyond the focus group room and quantitative study.
Not that those aren’t viable forms of research, but I think the closer planners can get to observational research the more reliable our insights can be. I’m developing into a strong proponent to behavioral economics (recommend reading Nudge and Switch to get started) and the truth that lies in what consumers do rather than what they say they do.
The technology fueling internet and mobile behavior is ripe territory to glean behavioral insight cheaply as well; even if you don’t have the time or money to spend a few days with some Russian teenagers.
Given we are in the business of story telling, I was asked to share some thoughts on how we can do this interestingly with Digitas (my views only). This was a really fun assignment for me so I hope you enjoy.
Viewing the speaker notes on slideshare’s site may be helpful to ensure you understand the points I’m trying make.
After being fortunate enough to attend this year’s Planning-ness, I was asked to share a distillery of what I walked away with to our planning department. Now posted here for your enjoyment (or dismay).
Please note: I have heavily borrowed thoughts, quotes and assets from the far more brilliant minds who presented them. Because this is my interpretation of my favorite talks, the whole story of these presentations has be posted online.
As I expected, it was awesome to be among such inspiring people and be able to meet some of those who keep us sharp in our discipline. I highly recommend anyone to go next year.
The irony of putting marketing dollars behind a weak point of difference is that it makes your brand look like it has none.
