Hill+Knowlton Strategies

Nice old video of Steve Jobs, talking about what makes a difference.

I’ve seen plenty of holograms.

You could even go so far as to say that I’m a fan.

The technology has come from a place where you you could almost dispel the reality for long enough to start dreaming it was real.

People have performed on stage with holograms. There have been resurrections before, but I thought Tupac at Coachella last night was a big step up.

Yeah, he still may look a little ghost like, but that probably helps with the impact. The renders of the side lighting on the stage though, that looks unreal.

Truly, world class production right there folks.

Amazed.

Frankly, this is just one of the coolest pieces of video I have seen anywhere.

The power of music to transform lives and aid memory and brain function is epic.

At Hill+Knowlton, we spend an awful lot of time ensuring brands have a great story that they can articulate anywhere. This video got me thinking though, does a brand have a soundtrack to go with that story? Can you give it one?

I’m going to try and find out this year.

We talk a lot about the power of surprise and delight as a mechanic for delivering engagement with your audience in social media. Often times it has displaced traditional thinking that consumer promotions and sweepstakes are cost effective ways to engage a large audience with a brand. These old methods raise the expectation of a large group, who enter/engage. A small number then win, usually in a not so visible way, over the phone or by email.

Surprise and delight turns that logic on it’s head, a brand engages a small audience, with low/no expectation and over-delivers,most effectively in a public place or social media where the reaction can be leveraged or at the very least surfaced in front of a group.

I love this example from TNT in Belgium, it’s not about product giveaways or a hula girl flashmob, just a true wtf? moment for anyone who self selects as wanting a bit more drama by pushing a big red button.

Love the work.

A bit more than a year ago, I welcomed my first born son into the world. He is, and I suspect he will remain, the coolest thing I have ever been involved with.

Despite the late nights and early mornings that surrounded his arrival, the occasional late start due to a troublesome feed or tactical nappy change, I believe that becoming a dad has helped me become a better manager, a better communicator and a better Creative Director. Here’s why:

1.  The world is an incredible place, if you just remember to try and look for it.

Humans are machines for pattern recognition. It allows us to feel comfortable in the lives we lead and push the fear of being chased down and eaten by sabre cats out of our minds. More than a little unfortunately, it also robs us of the ability to see what is really in front of us. Watcing my son’s fascination with the contrast of a yellow and balck warning sticker on the bus, or the noises a textured wall makes when you run your nails over it reminds me that there are opportunities for great experiences everywhere. I just have to remember to look.

2. Always do the voices.

I love to read to my son. The reactions you can get from a little time and a sliver of performance is tremendous fun.

My day job is about telling stories as well. Reading to my son reminds me to take the time to breathe life into the stories I tell for my clients, giving them tone, cadance and range. It’s a seemingly tiony thing that makes a big difference to the type of attention you can get, and the length of time you’ll recieve it.

3. Surprise returns amazing emotional response.

When everything is new, it is easy to deliver a surprise. Blowing up a balloon is greeted by giggles and smiles and much clapping of hands.

It’s ok to do things that you’ve done before. The key is rembering that comms are not designed for you but for your target audience. It is completely ok, if not great, to repackage things that have been seen before into a new package or experience that surpirses your audience.

I’m certain that there will be many more things that Otis will teach me as I watch him grow up and try not to drop him on his head.

This could be an amazing way to leave a temporary mark in a temporary world, or it could just be a mad dude from Christchurch chasing something only he can see under the New Brighton Pier.

Whatever you think of his intentions, the effect is mesmerising.

I’ll be spending this year trying to keep the same type of giggling enthusiasm for the creative work I’m lucky enough to undertake on a daily basis.

Gulf Restoration Network / interactive postcard from Gab + Fraser on Vimeo.

Ever wonder what happens to a creative after they win a Young Lion? They keep on creating beautiful communications.

My mate Frae won a Young Lion a couple of years back, after many years of working for little or nothing, based only on a belief he could do the job and do it well.

He now lives in the land of clocks and chocolate delivering ideas around the globe; the video above showcases the latest piece of work he and his creative partner have been been involved in.

I love the use of thermodynamic ink, the message strikingly clear that your hands can make a difference. I also love that in an increasing digital world, there are still ideas left that leverage the power of touch in building a memorable connection.

I’d encourage you to show some support and share it, and to go lend a hand if you have the time and resources to get to the Gulf Coast.

Here’s a fun little project we just executed last night for our clients Air New Zealand and Positively Wellington Tourism.

Our friends at Host scripted and filmed the video, not to mention edited it in a single evening.

I wrote the script for the in restaurant announcement, and you can hear me dulcid tones from about 1.13 on. I don’t expect that this will be the start of a lucrative voice career for me, but if you’re reading this and you work for Pixar, I’m certainly open to offers. Kudos too to our wicked press team, for driving the story out of the restaurant and into the media. You can read the Australian article here.

Interesting results published by Procter & Gamble on the frequency of word of mouth brand conversations.

Their research agency, Keller Fay, persuaded 32,000 people to keep dairies that tracked when they had brand related discussions. An overwhelming 91% were reported to occur either in person or on the telephone, leaving only 9% for new media channels.

60% of these conversations made participants “more likely” to purchase, and 67% of conversations were “positive” in tone. That seems like an opportunity to good to pass up.

Digital conversations are far more visible, and they remain online long after the discussion has faded away, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that they seem more important to me as a marketer.

The social optimist in me says that the online environment is ‘closer’ to a point of sale, and retains it importance. The social pessimist in me feels like he always knew that the vast majority of folk aren’t talking about brands online.

I think the key takeout from this for me, is the need for a renewed focus on channel neutrality and ensuring that from the ground up; your product, your offer and your communications are more than just present on a channel in proximity to a genericised consumer. As a brand you need to be worth talking about, especially if you want to end up competing on something more than price.

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Sometimes an agency let’s the work it does tell its story. Other times, it makes a video about cats.

Brilliant work from John St in Toronto.