Asian Digital Campaigns Making Waves

Hi everyone

Last week we met with the Contagious team here in Asia and the topic was, how is Asian Digital Marketing Different?

How are diverse places like Japan, China, Asia or Malaysia creating their own voice and starting to win a bigger share of global work and recognition.

And can we say ‘Asia’ has a style at all?

Japan and Korea have their own way, very technology driven and not afraid to be unusual in terms of content. Australian work is very realistic, direct and gritty. Chinese is simpler and more engaging on an emotional level, while work from places like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand tends to be a bit lighter, well-crafted and integrated fully with a still dominant mass media.

Below I have listed my favorite Asian digital campaigns for the last 6 months.

What is clear from these examples, and discussions with my Asian colleagues, is that this Asian work is breaking away and creating a voice of its own. That voice is one that embraces the old and new in popular culture, is not afraid to show positive emotion and a brighter side of life, sees heroes in its own culture rather than elsewhere now, and embraces social sharability as a natural extension of group culture & is therefore is an important core of new digital campaigns.

Okay here are my favorite campaigns, feel free to share your own:

Some you may know already:

1. Sagami Origianl - Love Distance: (Condoms - Japan) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwSvV78yDB8&feature=related

2. Best Job in the World (Tourism - Australia) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI-rsong4xs

3. Uniqlo Tokyo Fashion Map (Clothes Retail – Japan) http://www.uniqlo.com/uniqlo1000/

4. Nike ID Generator (Footwear – Japan) http://www.wonderactive.jp/award/2009/nike/nikeiD_generator/

And some you may have not seen before:

1. Nike Trackball: (Footwear – Singapore) http://www.vimeo.com/7046594

2. Visit the Other Britain (Tourism – Singapore) http://www.vimeo.com/7656988

3. Take the Wheel - Nissan (Auto – Australia) http://www.awardlook.com/nissan/370z/takethewheel/

4. One Day – Vodafone (Telecommunications – Australia) http://awardsubmissions.com.au/makethemostofnow/award_interactive.html

5. Hug a Day – Lipton (Tea – China) http://www.littlehairycrabs.com/awards_2010/lipton_milktea/

6. FogBar TV - Shiseido (Deodorant – Japan) http://birdman.ne.jp/awards/fogbar/index_en.html

Cheers

Thais now embracing online shopping

Hi everyone

Fantastic to see this recent bit of research from MasterCard showing Asians, and Thais especially, really changing their attitudes to online shopping.

“India, Thailand and New Zealand are leading the curve with more than 90% of the online shoppers feeling satisfied. Secure payment facilities, convenient payment methods and price and value of the items are the top three most important factors influencing respondents’ online shopping experience.”

This is a far cry from what some marketing perceptions are out there. It used to be common to hear, even 12 months ago, that 'Thais don’t like to shop online'. The concern was primarily about safety - for example the fear of using credit cards online – but it was also because many brands rarely provided a customer solution that was simple or convenient enough, outside the usual purchases of airline tickets/cosmetics and online music.

All that has changed dramatically in the last 12-18 months. Here are some reasons why:

1. Feeling Safer & Try Something New: The fear has gone away. For one reason most brands, and card companies, have added the extra security measures (such as Verified by Visa System) that gives more comfort to users. Another reason is that as people become familiar with taking control of online purchasing in more traditional areas of air tickets and cosmetics, they feel comfortable moving beyond just the usual to try new product areas.

The research notes: “As online shoppers become more savvy and are increasingly satisfied with their online shopping experience, they are purchasing beyond lifestyle items such as airline tickets, online games and music downloads and have evolved to buying basic necessities including home appliances and groceries.”

Interesting to see local online purchasing in areas such as online shopping for groceries increasing from 20% to 27% of respondents. And interesting to see grocery store Big C in Thailand embracing this, albeit in a small way.

2. More Convenience & Ease of Use: Undoubtedly the big change has also been with the brands recognizing they need to provide a better site experience. And they research backs this up, noting that “more online shoppers in general agreed that it is more convenient and easier to shop online as compared to last year…78% of respondents stated that it is convenient to shop online in 2009 versus 50% in 2008”.

This change really has been driven by a Web 2.0 mentality that Thai brands have embraced, asking how they can make online purchasing better, simpler and faster for users – not just for the companies ? The result means that it’s much, much simpler (and more enjoyable) than ever to buy an air ticket ( http://www.thaiairways.com/ ), pay a bill (http://www.scb.co.th/) or even order a pizza!! ( http://www.pizza.co.th/ ).

3. More Value: The increasing attractiveness of purchasing online is the ability to reward the online user with a better experience, and even better rewards. The next phase of growth will see brand areas such as fashion, FMCG, food & beverage and home appliances/furnishings where people have the tools that make browsing and choosing a better experience than in the store.

This is backed by the research showing that "the incidence of people browsing and then purchasing online has risen especially in China, Thailand & India." A better online browsing experience – seeing the range of clothes or furniture or even everyday household products from the convenience of your laptop or mobile – is leading to better sales.

Driving this further this year will be 2 trends – mobile and social media. Already we can see from overseas experience things like sales focused WAPS and mobile retail applications, as well as the increasing trends of sales sites from within Facebook, will catch on here. Sooner that you think!

Now more than ever, is the time to start planning your online sales strategy.

Cheers

Always-On Digital Platforms

Hi everyone

It has been incredible to see the changes in digital marketing in Asia over the last 12 months.

Increasingly, our brands and customers are moving from mainly campaign oriented short-term solutions, to include more long-term programs focused on maintaining an digital platform with customers.

This change is of course driven by the always-on nature of many of people today. The growth in use of social media, micro-blogging, mobile and gaming - along with numerous other digital media - has provided brands an opportunity to extend the connection with people beyond a campaign site and short burst of paid media.

The question now is this - beyond our main web offering, how can our brands sustain and build a presence online?

I read a great article on this by Garrick Schmitt on this last week in Ad Age, and rather than selectively quote I’ll add the link at the end of this blog so you can read his whole story. In it there are many great examples of digital platforms based on community action, crowd sourcing, e-commerce, brand experience and CRM. Covering brands such as Pepsi, Best Buy, Starbucks, Legos, P&G, Lufthansa, Nike… the list goes on.

What I think is important to understand is that the same marketing approach applies as much to Thailand and Asia as anywhere else now.

12 months ago I used to have to convince clients to invest in digital, now digital is part of nearly every brief and our clients are the ones who are identifying the real need. This has been driven in a large part by the digital trend amongst Thais of all ages taking hold. The growth in use of smart phones (iPhone, Blackberry), social media (Facebook, Twitter), gaming, blogs and instant messaging, and the general rising trend of using the web in every way (for work and play) for all ages and demographics, has driven the need to transform the marketing approach here.

I would see this change as one moving from more passive involvement to active, continuous participation online. I call it the ‘participation economy’. Thais are no longer content to stand on the sidelines and just passively watch what is going on. They are jumping in and doing things for themselves, sharing their voice, and being active participants online.

One reason is the rise of sites like Facebook where only by participating in conversations and sharing photos, blogs & videos can you really take advantage and enhance your social connections.

It is literally participate or die. And these digital platforms allow this sort of ongoing platforms that will start to dominate digital thinking moving forward.

The article is : Super Bowl Shuffle: Why Marketers Will Shift to 'Platforms'. Enjoy.

Cheers, Rob

Microsites vs Facebook

Hi everyone

It was interesting to read this article recently about how Lynx Twist launched on Lynx’s fanpage and X-Box live, rather than via the regular homepage/microsite approach.

Why? Listen to the Brand Manager, Katie Harrison. “The brand is moving towards creating a more consistent engagement with Lynx consumers in territories where we know they already exist. The brand has no current plans to build additional microsites for forthcoming campaigns”

Interesting, and as Robin Grant re-quotes in the Death of the Microsite “Clients want more of an emphasis on igniting conversation and less on the rich, textured sites that have typically accompanied their campaigns. The goal, as EVB CEO Daniel Stein put it, is to “stop building $1 million microsites that attract [only] 10,000 visitors.”

So what now? What are the benefits of each, and when to use them?

Facebook has some advantages because:

• Fish where the fish are: If your target market is spending large amounts of time on social networks, they are already there. You don’t have to spend huge amounts of money trying to drive them to a new, possibly remote, destination. No FB is an island, as they say.
• Cost & User Effective: Actually a well constructed FB page is not cheap but often less expensive then a media rich microsite, and potentially not as cumbersome in terms of downloads/speeds for the user.
• Full of Cool Stuff: As per this Coke FB site, the key is to make it full of unique content, interesting applications, and reasons for really being a fan. To me this is absolutely crucial, and leads to my next point
• It’s Social: People here are already sharing photos, videos and comments here. So a great FB page gives you the useful/entertainment value to share as a natural part of your FB behavior.

Microsites ain’t dead yet though because…

• Customer Fit: Not every customer segment is a heavy social media user (although it is starting to be popular among most age groups). A good microsite, well promoted, overcomes this problem.
• The Wrong Market: There are markets here in Asia where you can’t even access FB (China) or it’s becoming harder, like Vietnam. For regional campaigns this can be a real issue.
• Often Experience Matters: Sometimes for a major launch of a product or game or interactive experience, you want the rich media and production values a microsite can provide.

Something to think about for your next campaign.

Cheers, Rob

Ten Predictions for Digital Thailand 2010

Hi there

It’s a good time now to look forward to how digital marketing will affect us in 2010, and what we should be planning for.

While there are all sorts of predictions coming out – my favourites being this US article from Millward Brown and this slide presentation from an Australian agency – I wanted to look specifically at Thailand and what we can expect in the digital marketing sphere in 2010. Here are my predictions:

1. Web Sites Go Visual: Web sites become a far more visual and engaging experience as rich media elements such as video (TV, viral, demos and interactive applications (transacting, shopping lists, games, maps,etc.) start to take over from static content and text. The Web objectives for Thai sites will become far more and about measuring interaction and less on page visits, because this is a market where simplicity and ease of use & enjoyment are so important.

2. Mobile Apps Beat Mobile Web, But… : For many companies in Thailand, beyond industries like banks and media, a mobile WAP is not yet an option in terms of the user experience. The change in app developments of late means mobile apps are easier to do, produce a better user experience and can be highly focused. But as connections get better (let’s not talk about 3G delays!) the WAP will start to rise as an option to hit the masses. Also watch out for the new Google Nexus (hopefully by end of the year) smart phone and its applications.

3. Gaming Continues to Rise: More and more companies will see gaming and gaming type applications as more than fun but educational, informative, and a better way to engage a wide range of customer audiences. Thai’s are the biggest gamers in Asia (18-29), so stay tuned for more Web site based games, Facebook games, mobile games, offline games, from some unexpected companies, and some older audiences too. Especially look out for more integration with social media platforms.

4. Online Advertising Will Limp Along : I know I know, many people say that now with Mobile Web we have so many more online display ad options but you know what, I just can’t see it. Clicks continue to fall in Thailand (and everywhere else) and the number of other digital marketing options continue to rise. Yes we can do so much more with engagement in online ads. Yes search advertising will retain a vital role. And yes video ads hold a lot of promise. But the interruption model of most online advertising campaigns needs a serious revamp.

5. Location Matters for Social Media: With social media being used far more on mobile, and with geo-location starting to become a feature of mobile, expect to see more Facebook and Twitter campaigns based around where you are right now. It especially makes sense for young Thais who are out and about. I think something like Four Square here by the end of the year.

6. Social Becomes Mainstream Marketing: It’s already starting to happen with most clients, the use of social media and integrating it with the rest of a marketing campaign. Not just a Facebook page, but integrating this with the advertising, PR, promotions events and web will be standard very soon. The explosion of FB and Twitter in Thailand, and across Asia, makes this a must.

7. Search Becomes Real: With FB and Twitter proving more real time updates Google & Co are including real time search here in Thailand to make their service more up to date then just searching via social media. Local search will also continue to become more popular as people want to know what is happening RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW.

8. Data Awakening : The growth in digital in Thailand has seen an explosion of data, much of it either ignored or mis-used in my experience. This year I have seen already a trend of looking to the data for more understanding and insight of what matters in marketing and CRM campaigns. The refinement of digital measurement and data analysis, and the cost efficiencies it brings, is important in a market still keeping its belt tight.

9. Digital Ideas Lead: While traditional media will still dominate in Thailand, expect to see the continuing trend of campaign ideas that require consumer interaction, which will mean digital ideas will start to take a lead role in many campaigns. Yes, yes I’m biased I know but the trend is entrenched in most overseas markets and the early signs here are that online is where the core of the idea is starting to emerge. It will not, and should not, stay there though. Overall integration has never been more important.

10. The Un-Scared Thai: This is how a colleague recently described there experience with young Thais starting to experiment online with film, mobile, gaming and generally participating without fear online. The growth in social networking has meant people have to participate to be heard. That means they are far less afraid to try anything new or different, as engagement and sharing is now the norm. They won’t do anything to crazy of course – but mainstream campaigns getting people to jump in and do something more the enter a competition will continue to evolve here. Expect a lot more consumer created content this year in Thailand.

Cheers, Rob

Feel free to add comments below, or for further questions or advice contact me at rob.h@th.arcww.com

Looking Back @ 2009

Hi everyone

Happy New Year to everyone, best wishes for a enjoyable and successful 2010.

In moving forward this year with all our digital marketing plans, it always helps to review what's happened before and how we can learn from our successes and our failures. And there have been some phenomenal changes in digital marketing in the last 12 months.

It seems everyone can provide a ‘list’ or 'best of' – from the Best 10 ideas of the Decade, the Best iPhone Branded Apps to even the Best Digital Marketing Mistakes to Avoid.

But yet again this year I give you the most complete, and comprehensive and MUST READ review of digital and interactive marketing for 2009 - Most Contagious. Yes it’s 50 pages, but you can just flick through it briefly or click every link - because it breaks down a big year into the key developments, ideas, business successes and case studies of the year. Check it out.

Next week we’ll look ahead at 2010 and what’s in store. Once again this year we hope to provide you with digital marketing ideas and examples to educate and inspire. With a particular focus on Asia and Thailand.

With that in mind if you would like any particular areas or topics discussed, I’d love to hear from you.

See you next week.

Cheers, Rob

Feel free to add comments below, or for further questions or advice contact me at rob.h@th.arcww.com

Social Media Success Stories

Hi everyone

At a time when everyone is selling themselves as an expert in social media, but few really are, it’s worth having a reality check about what social media can and can’t do.

This great article, 10 things Social Media Can’t Do, is a timely reminder that nothing will replace a solid and holistic marketing strategy, and an understanding of social media’s limitations.

On the flip side though, I think there is a misleading perception among some that social media is not a place a brand can really be heard or engaged with in any serious way by customers, or that this audience is too young or dis-interested to even try.

Despite many strong arguments to the contrary, the only really effective argument is proof positive that social media marketing works. Because after all, only by doing and learning and re-applying can any brand or agency be successful in this ever-changing environment. And successful case studies can help highlight the fundamentals of what is working well in this field.

So let’s look at what we can learn from the following campaigns:

1. It all starts with a ‘social media’ idea: Not just any idea. One that is useful, or fun, and one that we are really dying to share with others. One that reflects your brand and its values. The one recently that I like most recently is the Ikea Showroom campaign, which combined all the elements of a strong Facebook idea, with the cheekiness and humor of the Ikea brand. Watch how it works here.

2. An idea that people want to share & others want to hear about: Some ideas aren’t born to share, aren’t right for the brand, or don’t have enough connection to truly catch on. It takes insight and inspiration to come up with sharing ideas which truly resonate with audiences. I love this one’s simplicity from Lufthansa.

Users who sign up to Lufthansa’s MySkyStatus will find their Facebook and Twitter profiles automatically updated with their altitude, location, departure and ar­rival information. Lufthansa is branding the service as ‘travel made social’, but any customers who don’t want to share their itineraries with the world are free to keep the information private. It’s reported almost half their online audience are signing up.

3. An idea your people want to talk about: One of the great strengths of Twitter is providing your employess, your people, to use it as a means of communicating directly with customers and provide a personal and engaging customer service experience. Best Buy is a great example of this, which you can read about here. The US-based consumer electronics retailer took its reputation for in-store service to the next level with the launch of Twelpforce – an army of 2100 Best Buy employees authorized to answer consumer questions via Twitter.

The tool took 13,000 queries in the first two months, and at a time when consumer spending in the US is down by 1.9%, the company made a net profit of $158m in 3Q09 on revenues of $11 bil­lion (up from $9.8 billion year-on-year). It’s just one example of just how useful, fun and rewarding Twitter can be.

4. An idea that lives across different media: Yeah you can focus only on social media, but why risk that? Besides if it’s a great idea with great content then what are ALL the video, mobile marketing, social networks and traditional channels we can use to spread the idea. The reality seems to be the best ideas use other digital and other media, to drive the idea further.

One great example is Cadbury Nibbles online pop –up store, which combines Facebook application with a great in-store promotion. Read more here. The result saw comments appearing on the Facebook page at the rate of one every 2.5 seconds for the two days of the promotion, and the store garnered an equiva­lent footfall in excess of 4m people with over £1.5m earned through social media.

Estee Lauder also did a great campaign for cosmetics here http://visitshoremagazine.com/2/?p=7995

5. An idea that is measured, evaluated and then evolves: The evolution of social media is ongoing but the best campaigns are always measured, evaluated and built upon. In this wonderful article on ‘Retailers Go Nuts for Social Media’, it shows how Best Buy, EBAY, JCPENNEY, TOYS’R’US and WALMART are evolving their Facebook/ social media campaigns using trial, measurement and evolution.

And shows that social media marketing for retail, and almost every other industry, is here to stay.

Cheers everyone. This is my last post for 2009, look forward to exploring more exciting developments in 2010. And BTW the Avatar image is not related, but a great movie, I highly recommend it!

Happy New Year to you all.