An oldie but a goodie – this is no new campaign but we didn’t want to miss the chance to highlight Volkswagen’s (VW) ‘the fun theory’ campaign as it’s a great example of how a brand’s ingenious use of creativity can help instigate positive consumer behaviour and build a strong following.

VW’s campaign was created in a series of phases:

Phase 1: lead by example - VW demonstrated how making things fun can positively change behaviour with its own three experiments:

1. The Piano stairs:

This resulted in an increase of 66% more people taking the stairs. With the additional online component, the video had over a million views on YouTube.

2. The world’s deepest bin:

Another idea aimed to get more people throwing their rubbish in the bin by making it resemble the sound of a 50ft-deep well. The bin collected 72kg of rubbish in one day, 41kg more than a regular nearby bin.

3. Bottle bank arcade:

Would more people recycle glass by making it fun to do? Designed like an arcade game with music and lights, this bin was used by nearly one hundred people in one evening, compared to the nearby one, which was used twice.

Phase 2: embrace consumer ideas – by holding an online competition, VW invited others to contribute their ideas, encouraging entrants to be strategic in how they could prompt behavioural change through fun ideas.

Whether their ideas aim to help other people or the environment, most of the experiments aim to effect a positive cultural change, such as safer driving, recycling and personal hygiene.

Phase 3: choose a winner – judged by a panel of experts known for either their entertainment or philanthropical values, or both. Click here to see the winner.

In addition to the wide number of consumers it garners, ‘the fun theory’ also demonstrates the longevity these kinds of ideas can leverage. It proves that, not only are everyday people willing to invest their time in good ideas (and in doing so sit side by side a brand), it reminds us how dynamic the relationship can be.

Sure, there is still relevancy in doing the tried and tested when it comes to advertising, but this example demonstrates we can afford to think a little bigger when searching for engagement. How refreshing.

Thanks to: Volkswagen
Posted by: Carmen Campbell

Known for creating extraordinary retail experiences, IKEA once again puts itself in the spotlight – or this time, subway …

If IKEA can make the Paris metro warm and inviting, imagine what it could do for an apartment! This is a brilliant example of retail theatre and a brand actually doing something to improve an environment and in the process showcasing its design and creating buzz.

Let’s just hope those sofas are bolted down…

Thanks to: IKEA
Posted by: Carmen Campbell

If there’s one trend you need to watch in the communications landscape in 2010, location based media is it. Why? Because this is the one shift that will fundamentally change how people relate to your brand. It also gives brands no other choice than to reassess how they can connect with their audiences.

Today let’s start with the basics…

Location based media is when information, entertainment and multimedia content is delivered to your mobile phone based on your location at that moment in time.

It first started appearing on the radar in 2004, but it’s only now that we have the technology to experience it (iPhones, smartphones).

With penetration of smartphones predicted to be at 448 million by 2011, this isn’t something that won’t happen. Currently in Australia smartphone penetration is at 30% and growing at a healthy rate.

The way developers and brands are delivering the experience to consumers is also becoming more sophisticated. It’s not all about being sent coupons for $1 Big Macs every time you walk past a McDonalds.

Take Foursquare, an example from the US that is rumoured to replace Twitter.

Foursquare is downloaded onto your smartphone and instantly gives you and your friends (who you can also choose to sign in to let you know of their whereabouts) a new way of experiencing old environments. As you are signed in and go about your day – visit a café, go to a theme park etc – you can earn points, receive promotional offers and so on.

You are also given information about new places in the area you might not have tried. Information like peer reviews on restaurants, discount vouchers and more. The more you interact, the more points you earn, the more brands can allow you to experience.

Foursquare is just one application. More will follow as developers refine their understanding of what people are looking for in their experience and we’ll be back with more reviews on such applications in the months to come.

Posted by: Carmen Campbell
Thanks to: RBC Capital Markets, “Sizing the Global Smartphone Market”, 2009 & AIMIA figures 2009

Last month we started the conversation on the changing values in our society, with our article ‘Back to Happiness’. But how are consumer patterns shifting?

To explore this further we interviewed Kamal Sarma, Director of Rezilium, a Strategic Leadership firm that specialises in creating resilient leaders, resilient teams and resilient organisations.

Kamal shares with us how we are experiencing a structural shift of values in society that see a move away from mass consumption towards a consumer sentiment looking for inspiration over motivation from brands.

If you find this interesting you might also be interested in this month’s feature article ‘The Australian consumer in 2009’ that looks at how marketers are reacting to changing times.

To find out more about Kamal and Rezilium you can contact Kamal directly at kamal.sarma@rezilium.com

Thanks to: Kamal Sarma

For General Electric, being positioned as a key mover in the green solution is crucial in building consumer trust and co-operation. Any product or service under similar pressures could learn from its intelligent campaign.

The educational campaign focuses on its Smart Grid vision for smarter and more efficient use of energy. And while it’s a complex story to tell, they’ve done a convincing job by using the right media to portray the appropriate levels of information.

We want to talk about the online component, because its use of new technology alone is impressive in demonstrating that GE knows how to apply new technology to an old problem. One way it demonstrates this is through augmented reality, a technology that brings real world elements into a digital hologram. Consumers can see a digital hologram of the technology come to life in their hands.

Have a look for yourself…

This is the first time we’ve seen augmented reality technology used to interact with a consumer in an advertising campaign. Even more novel is to see a traditional services company breaking new ground in the advertising space, but GE has proven here that traditional can also be forward-thinking.

For an overview of the campaign in its entirety: http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid/preview/

Thanks to: General Electric

In a cluttered advertising environment it’s time for brands to start putting their words into action. Sydney’s Strategy Director, Angus Frazer, shares his latest obsession – Brand Behaviour Enhancement.

In the clip above Angus invites us to start taking a new perspective when thinking about building real relationships with consumers today. Would you agree? Maybe you have experienced it yourself. Contribute below and let us know what you think.

And for more examples of Brand Behaviour Enhancement in the flesh, you need look no further than these examples from Motorola and Red Bull

Thanks to: Angus Frazer, Virgin Atlantic, Motorola and Red Bull