Thinktank: International Qualitative Research

Christmas 2011

2011-12-22T18:09:00.003+01:00

For retailers the Christmas TV ad is the UK equivalent on the Superbowl Half-Time spot in the US in terms of budget.
Celebrities and traditional Christmas paraphernalia (snow, nativity, tree, family) are a must. However, when striving to create THE blockbuster Christmas ad what makes great comms can potentially be forgotten.
Boots is perhaps the best/worse example in 2011. Earlier this year their 'I'm Fine' was a clever evolution from 'Here Come The Girls''. It amusingly highlighted the everyday heroism of being a mum. However, at Christmas our heroic women can't simply be keeping a home functioning, they need to be all action. The addition of Mission Impossible cues feels like it might have been at the expense of the warmth though.
But they’re not the only ones who have discovered mum as this year’s Christmas hero. The Littlewoods ad is based around this very theme (and is not simply an attempt ruin Christmas by evil Santa - deniers) It's also very close to John Lewis. John Lewis just have a bigger budget and a willingness to swim deeper into the syrupy gloop.
Ads packed with references to popular culture are designed to reassure us brands and retailers really understand what the kids are into. M&S is the worse offender here. M&S using X-Factor finalists feels like a maiden aunt trying to use Little Mix to find common ground with a 16 year old emo nephew on Boxing day.
In contrast Waitrose's ad with Delia and Heston has the magic of Christmas. The Delia cake box is beautiful and wonderfully appealing. Its an opportunity to get the thrill of making things yourself but with the reassuring guiding hand of Delia. The focus on a few hero products makes it much easier to develop links between the ad and the shopping experience too.
. Our favourite TV ad though is perhaps the one most overtly influenced by the current financial climate. Halfords simple idea gives us: nostalgia for the Christmas you got a bike (everyone wanted a bike one Christmas), the thrill of riding a bike so fast as a kid you weren't sure you'd ever stop and a reassuring message of longevity and thus value for money.
Nothing much stood out on the BTL front - there seems to still be a real focus on TV at this time of year. That said we must give a nod to Mini's Christmas wrapping paper. Great fun to do and absolutely in line with the brand's playful spirit.
Finally, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. from all at Thinktank.

Co-creation in 2011

2011-12-21T15:20:00.009+01:00

It's been almost 7 months since I joined Thinktank as Head of Co-creation. Christmas is almost here and I think it's time to look back and reflect on co-creation in 2011.
There's a bit of danger the next sentence is going to be quoted by Captain Obvious, but... 2011 really saw the rise of consumer power. Regular people play an increasingly important role in the world - whether it's marketing, internet or politics.
And today there are three things that really stand out for me about 2011 and co-creation:
New levers. Consumers are getting new levers to influence companies. It's easy to forget how much more mainstream Twitter became in 2011. It was used with different degrees of success by brands and companies. But I guess the most memorable case of consumer empowerment on Twitter this year was the pressure people put on brands to drop News of the World advertising contracts.
New products. Open innovation is adopted more widely by businesses. More than half of Fortune 500 companies are now using consumers in their innovation processes. I guess it is important to remember that we are just getting the first results now. More products and services co-created with consumers will hit the shelves in 2012. Needless to say we at Thinktank are keeping our fingers crossed for a couple of secret products to see the world next year.
New year! As far as my own work is concerned, I find it particularly nice to finish this year under a Christmas tree co-creating ideas for Christmas 2013 with a diverse bunch of people: clients, consumers and creatives :)
Onwards and upwards - the future is bright, the future is co-creative :)

2011-06-27T15:35:00.004+01:00

It’s been four weeks since I joined Thinktank as Head of Co-creation! Two brand days, three European trips, four new business meetings, five reports and numerous internal brainstorms later – here I am, finally getting a moment to write a blog post about joining the team.

It’s hard to describe how excited and enthusiastic I am about my new role – to the point where I actually feel for the Apprentice candidates (sir Alan! Lord Sugar! I’m so passionate!). I feel I’ve joined a great team of amazing thinkers (they really stand up to their name!), truly inspired and truly international researchers and a job title one can only dream of – Head of Co-creation!

As I was leaving Promise, my previous employer, one of my colleagues said: “This is a new era: you’ve got to be the first person in the UK with the word co-creation in their title”.

If this is true, I’m thrilled to be one of the pioneers and help drive Thinktank’s presence in the field forward! I do believe that co-creation is part of and driver of a new age in business– it’s capable of introducing more creativity, transparency, diversity, mass collaboration and unexpected social interaction into marketing and research. And of course it enables business to embrace a new type of ‘empowered’ consumer.

In my experience it can make the marketing ‘process’ not only lots more fun for all involved but also lead to a much better, more informed decision making.

What a world to embrace :) No wonder I’m excited!

Cricket Fever Grips India

2011-04-06T16:36:00.004+01:00

We were lucky enough to find ourselves in Delhi while India was in the grip of Cricket World Cup fever. It was all taxi drivers and brands were talking about. Mobile Operators, insurance firms and cement suppliers - everything had a cricket theme to its comms. A lot of it though felt like little more than badging. For example I'm not quite sure what made this a 'World Cup Menu'; Two campaigns though did stand out as much more than badging, even to an outsider 1. Pepsi's campaign placed some of the great players in the context of everyday life. KP's switch hit helps unload a mango cart. Dhoni's helicopter is put to use turning a water pump. 2. Nike's 'Bleed Blue' was a tubthumping scream of raw passion that captured the spirit every time Tendulakar and Sehwag went out to open the innings. It also played into the other obsession of India's youth - Facebook What was so good about these two campaigns was that they not only brought to life the spirit of the World Cup in India. They also brought to life the spirit of the international brand behind them. Pepsi's campaign had the spirit of their previous football World Cup stuff. Music and energy with sporting heroes in a real working rural setting in the host country. Nike and cricket might seem incongruous (at least in the West) but the campaign was pure Nike. Imbued with that same understanding of how much sport can mean to people. Here was a global brand in tune with local passions without ever losing its global identity. It was great to see these two global experts get their work around the World Cup so right. Both felt like they added to, rather than jumped on the back of, World Cup fever. Others could certainly learn from them in the run up to 2012

Digitally Passive Digital Natives

2011-02-15T12:01:00.004+01:00

You could be forgiven for thinking all youth were early-tech-adopters, tweeters, geo-location updaters, and 24/7 ‘Facebookers’, on the hunt for the newest digital fix.

It’s easy to see why – so much has been written about younger generations being enamored with new technology, adopting it early and using it proficiently.

It’s true, digital does provide lots of compelling creative activities, and enables almost anyone to ‘make it’ these days (as argued in the ‘Press Pause Play’ trailer) – but let’s not forget that this only applies theoretically – in practice most people aren’t digital creatives.

On one level we all know this – and pay lip service to the 90/10 rule - but recent research workshops with young people brought it home to me just how digitally passive and reactive 20-somethings can be.

It’s worth pointing out that these young people weren’t hunting for digital content, branded or otherwise, and instead were typically prompted to interact with digital content by more ‘traditional’ media like TV and radio.

Much digital activity seemed also to be under the radar – the majority of our mainstream youngsters were struggling to spontaneously name any online activities they’d participated in.

In the workshops we looked at a number of digital engagement ideas and it was striking how important it was to our young consumers that these activities were not time-consuming or in any way difficult to access.

On the other hand our youngsters could welcome being part of a creative project or supporting a cause – as long as they didn’t have to make much of an effort. And there was certainly room for brands to act as facilitators here – as long as they acknowledged consumer passivity and did most of the hard work themselves!

So it’s clear brands have to work quite hard to make digital engagement ideas effortless for youth - particularly as quite a few youngsters are more digitally passive than anyone might assume.

Friendship Groups - and why they can be great

2011-02-08T16:43:00.004+01:00

We've recently been reminded again just how brilliant friendship groups can be while working with a drinks brand. How better to explore drinking behaviour and reactions to positionings for a drink than a 'Pub Tank'? Talking to people in the company of those whom they normally drink with. It sets the research in the social setting and thus has the potential to make it much richer. It's the same reason we love to use 'Kitchen Tanks' when we're talking to groups of mums.

A friendship groups gives you a ready-made group dynamic. They're ready to perform having already formed, stormed and normed over the years of their friendship.

Friendship groups can also be self moderating. People are far less prone to grandstanding or claiming they're cleverer, more sophisticated, more caring or less lazy than they really are. This is simply because their friends won't let them get away with it. This is great because this gives a glimpse into the social environment in which people make decisions. Outside of research their choices are scrutinized by the mates who’re scrutinising their choices in the group.

Of course, the great skill with friendship groups is taking that brilliant natural social energy and ever so gently guiding it to the research objectives of the project without puncturing it.

Is the iPhone starting to wane?

2011-01-21T11:53:00.016+01:00

Recently I came across an article in the Observer that questions if the iPhone is about to lose its mojo. There’s a lot of chatter about interest moving from iPhones to shinier, newer Android phones in the U.S. And some hipsters think the iPhone is becoming a common ‘safe’ option, rather than the cool ‘different’ choice.

I wanted to know if the wider public shares these views, so recently I went out onto the streets of Central London, to talk to some trendy students and other young urbanites to find out if these trends have permeated ‘more mainstream’ life.

What did I find out?

Surprisingly, none of the twenty-somethings I spoke to were aware of the much talked about battle between iPhone and Android. They hadn’t read about it and their friends weren’t talking about it. And whilst they’d heard of ‘Android’, they didn’t understand what it was. Instead, Android seemed quite nebulous to them, spread across lots of devices, not really its own entity, quite difficult to grasp and hold onto. In their eyes, an operating system couldn’t really threaten the iPhone.

Another thing that came out was that the iPhone is still perceived as the coolest phone by fairly mainstream yet trendy young people. There’s just something about the inherent beauty of Apple products that cues coolness and drives a cult following. People I’ve spoken to have practically cooed over the design of the iPhone. But what is it about the design that’s so influential? The answer is partly Apple’s simple design approach - it screams confidence, and confidence is very attractive (there’s a great piece here that goes into more detail on this).

Going further, whilst these youngsters thought of the iPhone as cool, there was a sign of implicit iPhone-boredom starting to bubble beneath the surface. “It’s not new anymore, it’s just a bit improved, we’ve seen it before really” was the verdict from one cool urbanite.

I should point out that none of these consumers had iPhones (or Android phones). They wanted iPhones, but the expense of them (and the long contracts) just made them opt for the next best thing. So instead they had ‘functional’ smartphones with some cool features.

This is where Android gets more interesting. The people I spoke to felt that Android phones probably do what the iPhone does, but at a cheaper price. So Android phones might be an alternative for pragmatists looking for affordable devices. But the jury is out whether it’ll ever really become a strong consumer brand and if others, for example a rejuvenated Nokia might depress its impact out of the US.

So where does this leave the iPhone? Well Android seems to be struggling to get past the early adopters, and the iPhone is still cool to more mainstream consumers. I suspect Android will need to work quite hard to gain the cool status of the iPhone, particularly as Android is an operating system. What Android lacks is the tangibility of beautiful design – and here Apple still reigns supreme.

Touch screen technology has the potential to connect with those who completely missed the Qwerty phase

2011-01-20T13:14:00.003+01:00

I discovered this Christmas that my 84 year old Nanna has, for the past few months, been the owner of an iPad. When it comes to technology I thought she peaked when she learned how to set the oven timer.

She never used a laptop, I don't think she'd ever been online before she got this iPad. In one magnificent leap she's cleared the two generations after hers as they toil away on laptops. Whenever I tell people my Nanna has an iPad they're shocked. But, iPads aren't just for cool adland types on their way to another meeting in Lantana. They're also perfect for the elderly of Wolverhampton. Anyone who has ever tried to show an older relative how to do anything on a keyboard computer will have had to put up with a tirade of questions. Questions (quite reasonably) triggered by the computer demanding the user do something counter-intuitive. From the moment you look at a keyboard you have to learn to play by it's rules. You have to accept the alphabet starts with a Q! The generation my grandmother belongs to didn't live through war and rations to be told what to do by a machine. They're not going to wait to be connected and then tediously enter the letter w three times for anyone. (as they were told they had to when they first tried to get online) Touchscreen doesn't demand any such nonsense. If Nanna wants to look at the BBC she taps it with her finger. If she wants to play Scrabble she taps the Scrabble icon. She tap a photo and it appears, she can even simply send the photo to her friends.

Generations after ours will know nothing but the touchscreen either. Like the landline (remember them) it will go down as a technological stepping-stone. Obviously they'll have to type (and probably accept the alphabet can start with Q) but the idea of clicking on things or typing in commands will seem very strange.

It's only us poor few, born in the 60's, 70's or 80's who'll remember how tough it used to be having to hold down CTRL, ALT and DELETE all at the same time.

Andy

Three things McDonalds can tell you about Japan...

2011-01-17T10:57:00.009+01:00

McDonald’s – the symbol of globalisation and identical the world over, right? Well not quite and I can never resist taking a peek to see what local oddities are on offer. Here in Japan, as elsewhere, the menu is tailored to local tastes. Fast food aficionados looking for something new can gorge themselves on a Teriyaki McBurger, an Ebi-Filet-0-Shrimp or a McPork and if up early enough they can even treat themselves to a Fillet-o-Fish for breakfast. But beyond the variations to the 'cuisine', there are also some less obvious differences to the offer - each of which reveals a little something about Japanese culture. 1. Japan loves innovation & novelty Ok, so not exactly be new news but the ever-changing menu at McDonalds here certainly helps bring it into relief. I arrived at the end of November and I’ve already lost track of the number of special burgers, meals and deals I've seen advertised since. Amongst other things, novelty-seekers have been kept happy with four new 'gourmet' chicken burgers last month and four new American themed sandwiches this month... 2. There has not been the same backlash against ‘fast food’ in Japan as in the West Compared to home there's a noticeable absence of any 'healthy' options on the menu here. Now I’m not sure anybody actually ever buys these in the UK but to firefight years of negative coverage about the quality and nutritional value of their food the chain has had to change it's offer. And despite having made some real changes for the better, including for example removing all trans-fats from their menu - something they still haven't achieved in Japan - I know from research into the subject that the British middle-class still loves to hate McDonalds. In Japan there hasn't (yet) been the same backlash against McDonalds or fast food in general. Of course, it's not seen as a healthy option but it's also not been demonised. As such it's been able to concentrate on what it's good at - unhealthy but tasty (some would say!) burgers. Whether Japan has it's own mini-obesity-epidemic brewing is another question... 3. The Keitai is still alive and kicking in japan Another recent offer has been the novelty 'strap' collection - the second set in a series of collectible McDonalds themed mobile accessories... As I've written before, Japan has recently been undergoing a 'smart-phone' revolution, with the iPhone, which has a resolutely anti-strap design, by far the best-selling mobile of recent months. However, as offers like this show, traditional Japanese mobile (keitai) culture is also still going strong, with dual handset ownership on the rise: a touch-screen 'smart-phone' for Internet and a good old-fashioned keitai for calls - and to attach 'straps' like these to! And just in case you missed the first collection (or if you're in any doubt about the local penchant for mobile collectibles) then not to fear - I recently spotted the whole set up for sale in a local bookstore... Posted by Nick, our man in Tokyo Read more of his thoughts on culture and marketing in Japan on his blog at http://tokyodiaries.wordpress.com

Essential Trends for 2011

2010-12-28T16:41:00.008+01:00

It’s that time of the year when the experts tell us what we can expect for the next 12 months. To add to everyone’s enlightenment Thinktank have scoured Twitter for the best of 2011 crystal ball gazing. Beyond the bland and oft-told (everything is going social, people willl use their mobile phones even more, Apple will make lots of money blabla), we bring you our five favourite less obvious trends and suggestions for next year: 1. Use Your Pet As Marketing Tool Remember 2009 as the year of the Meerkat? Well, according to this biz expert 2011 will, apparently, be the year of the branded hamster, guinea pig or budgie: “Companies have new policies where you can bring your pet to work, there are new pet day care centers that offices offfer, and I think this trend will grow even further into ways to incorporate your pet into your business, whether it be marketing strategies, product integration, etc”. — Linsey Tilbor, 5wpr.com Spotted on Business News, 50 Big Ideas, Predictions and Trends for 2011 and Beyond 2. Think Protein Judging by the number of Twitter entries, food and weight management are key themes for forecasters – and Trends included digestive health (number 1 in a list compiled by Research and Markets. Though apparently, proteins will be the No.1 ‘micro-trend’) http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/46bbfa/10_key_trends_in_food_nutrition_and_health_2011 3. Stop Brunch If you look across the pond for trends in eating out, you may be interested that in New York queueing for brunch will be soo over: “Brunch backlash: (Hopefully) in 2011, people will finally realize that waiting on line for an hour to eat poached eggs isn't worth it. Because eggs are never, ever, worth an hour's wait.” By Lauren Shocke, spotted in Village Voice Blogs, 5 New York City-Centric Food Trends for 2011 4. Get Married What about the really important trends though, I hear you ask - what guidance is there for people who are planning to get married - what ARE next year’s trends in wedding invitations? invitationcrush.com has issued its forecasts for next year and bullishly predicts ‘that patterns will explode in popularity in 2011’ ‘ 5. Have Cutsey Nails And finally if you worry what to do about nail fashion in 2011 Becomegorgeous.com er, nails it with these lovely Hello Kitty designs … There you go, you’re sorted! Happy 2011!

Thinktank's Review of the Year

2010-12-23T15:41:00.002+01:00

Full of Mince Pie and seasonal goodwill to all men the Tank sat down and took stock of 2010. Here are a few of our highlights from the year; Best Ad John Lewis' tearjerker and Andrex's mechanical dog both garnered nominations. Dixon's press and outdoor campaign was based on a brilliantly resonant insight into consumer attitudes and behaviour. From the World Cup, Carlsberg’s effort might have been a bit jingoistic but it was lightened with touches of genuine humour. However, our winner this year is Old Spice. Brilliantly funny (who says Americans can't do irony?) and of course came attached with one of the Social Media Campaigns of the Year…. Best Social Media or Digital Campaign Talking of which…it was tempting to give this award to Old Spice as well given that it was such a viral sensation but hey, others should get a look in too. Foster's resurrection of Alan Partridge was a great way of spearheading their desire to align the brand with great comedy. 'Parallel Lines', Phillips' link up with Ridley Scott had credibility amongst film makers and worked brilliantly well to showcase product. Branded Entertainment that gets the balance between 'branded' and 'entertainment' just right. However, this was a World Cup year and our winner is Nike for their fantastic campaign with Arsene Wenger, the Chance. Brilliantly tapping into young people's desire to be a legend in their own network. We then started thinking about our own year. Where has 2010 taken us? What have been highlights for the Tankies? And where did we encounter our... Most Happening City This year we've conducted research on every continent (apart for Antarctica) and seen a plethora of exciting cities. Our top three destinations this year (with apologies to Sutton Coldfield - maybe next year) are; Lagos, Nigeria - Not only a phenomenal and bustling African city but also one filled with brilliantly enthusiastic and unjaded young consumers. We were struck by just how open and optimistic everyone was about the future. Berlin, Germany - much visited but never dull, still manages to excite us as a hub for creatives and those who understand to loaf in style. Great for stores, event marketing and non identikit bars and cafes. But our winner this year was Beijing, China. Hugely dynamic and defined by a young generation oozing a self confident, self defined coolness that's not looking for outside approval. Finally, here are some of our ‘moments of the year’, the times that reminded us why we love our job and like being part of the Tank. To take a selection, this year we… …hung out in Beijing punk bars with Chinese students …loved the multi-puporse experiential spaces that are Bangkok shopping malls …got up close and personal with student protesters in Westminster …discovered young Nigerians’ saucy and Indians’ philosophical sides as expressed on their mobiles …were surprised at the vibrant and open gay community amongst Mexico’s new generation …were charmed by young Russian’s seriousness about self-improvement …took a peek into women’s living rooms, kitchens and even – oops - saw them taking a bath in an auto-ethnographic project for Hello! magazine … enjoyed our speaking opportunities on music, social media, brands and film Let's hope 2011 is just as exciting! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

German Markets

2010-12-17T17:34:00.001+01:00

In Hamburg this week, where among other things we’ve been enjoying the Christmas Markets. As we stood enjoying a Glühwein it struck us again how even the most seemingly traditional of events can capture a great balance with modern relevance.

At first glance the markets could seem simply to offer a picture postcard view of Germany aimed at the tourists

However, don’t be mistaken into thinking the young of Hamburg don’t enjoy them too. On a cold and wintery Tuesday evening, they were full of 20somehings and teenagers hanging out at the end of a long cold day. In Hamburg they're sponsored by the local NDR radio station. Such local engagement gives the markets a much greater sense of belonging; it attaches them to the city and the people in it.

All rather lovely really, and quite clever.

Word on the Street

2010-12-13T16:49:00.003+01:00

Our article about the student demos published on brand-e.biz: By Samantha Shellie.*In the aftermath of UK Parliament voting in favour of raising student tuition fees, Topshop’s Oxford Street shop windows were smashed and graffiti sprayed on the store. Earlier that day, bank branches were also targeted and spattered with paint.

It would be easy to believe that a new anti-brand sentiment is on the rise, but after going out onto the streets to talk to student protesters during last Thursday’s demo, it’s clear the story is more nuanced.

Let me set the scene…

It was simple to find the action – I just followed the sounds of the helicopters. The atmosphere was electric. Thousands of students were waving ‘Coalition Resistance’ banners. Children Of The Revolution was blaring from a huge sound blaster as students bopped, cheered and shouted their way to Westminster.

I started talking to the students…

Some sixth formers quickly raised the topic of corporate tax avoidance. “It makes me so angry, they owe billions of pounds,” one said.

However, it became clear that student anger was directed far more at the government than at corporates – and uncertain whether that anger would affect brand perceptions.

“The government basically just gives money back to these companies and now they’re like ‘we can’t pay for your education’.”

“They spent £18 million on the World Cup bid and now they can’t pay for our education.”

There was implicit disagreement with ‘Big Society’ thinking

“It shouldn’t be their [the brand’s] responsibility in the first place, it should be the government’s.”

One student was concerned about suggestions of involving corporations in educational funding and feared business might start to hold too much influence over young impressionable people, discouraging critical thought and leading to a bias in favour of commercialization.

So, is there a rising movement against brands?

It seems students are more likely to see failings in politicians appearing to rely too much on business rather than scapegoating commerce per se.

This may change – an anti-commercial movement may rise – or pragmatism and apathy may take over. It’s worth saying though that right now, when so many organisations are looking to get involved in the arts and in good causes, and government is inviting commercial participation in society, education is very sensitive ground for brands to tread.

*Samantha Shellie is a researcher at Thinktank International Research

Uniqlo X Monster Hunter Portable 3rd

2010-12-09T15:13:00.005+01:00

If you get on a train anywhere in Tokyo then the chances are that at least one person in your carriage will be bashing away on a PSP. And more than likely the game they'll be playing is Monster Hunter, in which the player takes control of a hero on a mission to capture a virtual menagerie of weird and wonderful, well... monsters. Having played the game I can't personally see the appeal. It's a true grinder, requiring a real input of time and commitment to build up the supplies needed to catch your prey. Think Farmvi lle but with weapons and the occasional burst of intense monster-hunting action The game has built up a cult following here, partly due to it's social aspect - it's not uncommon to see a group of teens sitting in McDonalds, all tapping away on their PSPs in tandem, playing together over local wi-fi. The latest edition of the game - Monster Hunter Portable 3rd - has just launched here and is being heavily advertised - in the papers, on TV, on the TVs in train carriages, on the billboards at train stations. Given that the title sold over 2 million copies within it's first 5 days of release, the ads don't seem to have gone unnoticed! But walking past Uniqlo in Ikebukuro station today I noticed a slightly more subtle form of advertising on their racks. Capcom - the studio behind the game - has teamed up with Uniqlo to produce a range of t-shirts featuring icons from the game and other monster-hunting memorabilia. So now discerning fans can not only play the game but can also indeed buy the t-shirt - potentially a nice little link up given the cult status of the game. And the designers have done a good job of turning the imagery from the game into some pretty wearable designs, perhaps unsurprising given the company's history of producing limited edition manga and anime based t-shirts for their capsule collection lines. Apparently Uniqlo's sales have been suffering in Japan against competition from 'fashionable' new competition such as Zara and H&M . Their owner, Tadashi Yanai, Japan's richest man, has stated that he aims to switch strategies back to a focus on their core, more functional product lines and away from 'superficial fashion' items. Whether that means we'll see less of this type of collaboration in the future remains to be seen. Posted by Nick, our man in Japan Follow his continued adventures in Tokyo on his blog at http://tokyodiaries.wordpress.com

Merry Christmas

2010-12-03T17:39:00.002+01:00

The Goose is getting fat....

It's that time of the year again when all the ads start to look remarkably similar.

The Christmas ads are here.

At first glance it doesn't feel as if there's actually that much to say about the Christmas ads. This isn't really the season for game changing work. It seems the creative brief for most Christmas ads is 'Make people feel warm, loved and slightly whimsical' (exactly what I imagine Richard Curtis has written as a reminder on a post it above his computer whenever writing a screenplay)

Of course the model Christmas ad, and the one which comes up time and time again in groups at this time of year, is the Coke ad. Repeated and still much loved, it' so syrupy you can put it on your pancakes.

So, if this isn't the time to do anything revolutionary, how can brands stand out at Christmas? After all this is a vital time for the High Street

Christmas work seems to walk a tightrope between trying to stand out and not breaking the cosiness of the season. It seems there are a couple of ways 2010's Christmas offering have tried to do this;

1. Celebrity in a slightly unusual context

While M&S' efforts with Peter Kay are perhaps more instantly recognizable it is not alone in seeing the potential for sparking interest with a well known face in a slightly surprising context, Derek Jacobi's in Sony's Christmas campaign is no less arresting. In many ways Sony's use of Jacobi is more interesting. It's not immediately apparent that it is Jacobi and when it becomes so he brings a gravitas and sophistication that is at odds with most of the fluffy Christmas fun.

2. Music

While the overall tone of Christmas ads seems to be sacrosanct the music used to create it is certainly not. There is a pleasing lack of Slade or Wizard in the Christmas ads this year. Brands seem to be being a bit cleverer when choosing music. Looking beyond the obvious and the trite. Last year John Lewis really set the bar when they created a wonderfully gooey Christmas mood that could make any parents heart ache with a Guns 'n' Roses song. This idea then carried on with 'Always a Woman' (which I was a bit nervous about watching the office as I feared I might reveal just what a soppy tart I am). And then, this Christmas they've used a cover of 'Your Song' to create another offering as rich, glossy and comforting as a Chocolate cake

3.Very Gentle Humour

There is space to have a bit of fun with a Christmas ad within the aforementioned confines. The important thing is that the humour should all be safely contained and playful rather than challenging. It should almost be laughing at itself. As already mentioned M&S have Peter Kay bringing a smile in what would otherwise be a fairly standard (though impressive) M&S effort. There is no real biting satire here though, there's a fat bloke from Bolton pretending to be a camp dance teacher. Argos' humour comes from twisting a familiar Christmas image. Bing Crosby as a ghetto star is not earth shattering satire and the technology used is to create the image hardly cutting edge but it is silly. Finally, Tesco do have a discernible victim in the absurd Amanda Holden but it's harmless Keeping Up Appearance style stuff. Holden's snobbish sister is as awful but slightly endearing as Hyacinth Bucket in a campaign which confirms my suspicion that Mark 'I was that close to making it in Hollywood' Addy is becoming a poor man's Geoffrey (Onslow) Hughes

Again, none of these are game changing but they do create an added level of interest and help these ads to stand out just a little bit in a sea of safe toasty warmth.

Merry Christmas

The Content is the Message

2010-11-11T12:39:00.005+01:00

Recently I've been wondering if some marketers are becoming too keen to embrace the latest digital trends and forgetting what they’re in the business for – i.e. nurturing brand relationships.

I've just come across an article on brand-e with a brilliantly wry quote from a social media expert who tells us that clients come to her with the demand: 'I want one. I want a social media - that is literally what people say.”

And it really seems to be the case these days that so much attention is given to perfecting the medium that the message isn't getting its fair share.

I did some groups recently about the emerging trend of branded film. When brands got it right consumers were very positive. They valued the effort brands made to captivate them with strong, creative storytelling that matched the high production values and technical effects. Disappointment rose when branded films were visually stunning and technically impressive but weak in their storyline. “It’s just a waste of time” was the verdict.

If it hadn't been for the context of the group these people never would have watched the films to the end! What’s more, the brands that got it wrong were perceived to be jumping on a bandwagon and trying to “catch-up” with other brands participating in the trend. When a brand’s desire to be part of a media trend is transparent to consumers there is a real issue. And I think that issue is with the content/message quality not being good enough.

So in short, I think industry conversations should focus more on content. Cool media with rubbish content doesn’t engage jaded consumers. Marshall McLuhan was wrong - you can't just rely on the medium, the content is the message.

Brands on Film

2010-10-30T13:17:00.002+01:00

Yesterday I went along with my colleagues from Thinktank to the Brand-e 'Brands on Film' event - a sort of unofficial last day on the job before I leave for asabbatical in Japan and well worth the time The event was held at LBi's offices on Brick Lane - the very definition of rough and repurposed warehouse chic - and their own Chris Clark kicked off the day with a wide angle shot, arguing that brands need to be moving beyond advertiisng to create 'something of cultural value to people' whether film or something else. Andrew Creighton followed up with a remarkable success story - the growth of Vice from 'hipster bible' to fully-fledged media company, counting Dell, Intel and Playstation amongst their clients. The genius of their model now is that they can provide brands with a pre-packaged audience and offer a low risk model - produce a couple of episodes, see how they go down, if they work out then build on it. The beauty of this model is organic growth - if the content is good and it grabs consumer attention then it can eventually make the jump even to TV with a ready made audience and no risks. No wonder Vice already have a deal with CNN to synidcate their best content! Laurence Billiet from Babelgum also talked about how media distribution models are being turned on their head online. Whilst short 'webisode' formats are proving most popular online this doesn't mean that they can't later be turned into a full-length film for more traditional channels, a model they are following for How To Re-Establish a Vodka Empire with the feature film being premiered on More4. We also heard from clients leading the way with branded film - Wander Bruijel at Philips (alongside Jonny Hardstaff who directed one of the films on their Parallel Lines site) and Carl Christopher-Ansari from Playstation with their Game Runners project. Agencies specialising in helping brands engage with and around the more traditional world of feature films were also represented by Jodie Fullagar from M&C Saatchi and Ed Sharp from Film Tree. We were there as the 'voice of consumer' with Sabine presenting the findings of research we've carried out into how consumers are actually consuming this stuff at the moment. Our message - this stuff is all very new for consumers and at the moment they're not quite sure what to make of it. They are open to film from brands but they struggle to go beyond thinking of it as advertising, which can start to raise cynicism about commerce encroaching onto art. The key to getting consumers past this is - as ever! - good quality, relevant material that feels as though it is rooted in a genuine brand belief. I left the day feeling pretty excited about the future of branded films and content in general. Consumers are open to it if it offers them something of value, if it is relevant to their interests, if it is good quality. If brands can deliver on this then they're going to build stronger relationships with their customers. 'Creatives' are increasingly looking towards brands and business for funding. This could be a win:win:win situation. However for branded film to really make an impact there will need to be an accompanying shift in people's media consumption habits. At the moment most consumers are still watching traditional TV content, even when viewing online, whether this is on official catch-up services or the numerous unlicensed streaming sites. For branded film to really take off, this needs to change and it is the likes of new media online media 'channels' such as Vice that seem best placed to make this happen. With the emergence of 'curated' hubs such as Vice or Babelgum, consumers are learning to look beyond traditional channels for their content. As online viewing habits mature these hubs could be the real winners - well placed to form partnerships with brands and to bring them together with consumers looking for quality content.

Dan Ariely has seen some really bad qual research

2010-09-15T12:07:00.002+01:00

Dan Ariely has continued his unrelenting attack on the focus group in this month's Research World. I put the article down wondering; 'who the hell conducted the qual research he's seen?!'

One can only assume poor Dan has seen some truly awful and worryingly unsophisticated qualitative research. In the interview he says "Let's stop doing as many focus groups... ... let's stop getting cold calculated reactions to decisions that have an emotional component". It's difficult to argue with the second bit of this. Moving away from rational reactions to things that people react to emotionally 'in the real world' has been one of the great challenges of research for as long as it has existed.

It's the linking of this so definitely with focus groups that puzzled me and got me exploring the other places he's put the boot into groups.

On his blog he talks about how clients "rely on the intuition of about 10-12 lay people with no relevant training who ultimately have no idea what they’re talking about". This feels like a very old fashioned and strangely simplistic view of groups. It's certainly not what groups are used for here in the UK, and one hopes the US.

What is said in the group is only part of the story. The value of groups comes from two things, neither of which comes instantly from the potentially rationalized reasons given by respondents:

1. Non verbal communication the moderator picks up on, the energy in the room. What creates a spark? Often this will be a spark which respondents then struggle to rationalize or in so doing actually miss what really got them going. No matter, a good researcher will have picked up on this spark (a shift in the temperature of the room) during the group and can then explore it's meaning later (which brings us on to number 2).

2. The analysis. No client should expect to come away from a night behind the mirror with the answer (although they should have been inspired to perhaps look at the problem a fresh in light of what they heard). Answers don't come directly from the mouths of respondents. Respondents are a great resource but we're not relying on them to save the day. Answers come out of the analysis process. The time taken by researchers thinking about what occurred in the group (and this goes further than just what was said), what this means to the client, and how it can be developed into actionable insights.

As qual researchers we recognise that clients can have an "insatiable need for a story" (another of Dan's concerns regarding focus groups). Calming this insatiable need is something good quallies are adept at too. We've all had a client who comes along to one group, hears one juicy and compelling story from an interesting respondent and think they've got the answer. However, they haven't. Good researchers are aware of this and have the skill to ensure that the client soon is too.

Dan does a great job of highlighting the pitfalls of bad focus groups and what behavioural economics can bring to the party. I just can't agree with his extrapolation that this means we should abandon focus groups. Surely a wiser conclusion would be to suggest we abandon doing focus groups badly. Otherwise we're throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Therefore I would like to take this opportunity to invite Dan to come and watch qualitative research being done well, and then used intelligently. I'm fairly confident you'll find they aren't a "waste of money" but have a role to play in understanding consumers better; just as quant research, ethnography and behavioural economics do. All have value but none are the definitive answer.

Come on Dan, there's free sandwiches*

*Or we can charge you £10 for them if it will make them taste better.

Thinktank guest-edits brand-e.biz

2010-08-11T17:28:00.005+01:00

We have been engaged in a fun one-day co-operation with our favourite comms publication online, brand-e.biz. Tomorrow Thinktank will be guest-editing the site - so we've written about, commented on and selected some of the non traditional campaigns covered on the site. Apart from being questioned on our stance on the social media as research and isn't 'traditional' qual ever so passé debate, we've really enjoyed for once not having to remain impartial on creative campaigns. A refreshing change from having to keep a moderator's poker face... ('I don't have an opinion about this ad- what do YOU think?') My two favourite campaigns had retro themes - posters n for IBM using beautifully stylish retro graphics and Unilever doing a bit more than jumping on the Mad Men band waggon with a tie-in of some of its brands which have been around since the 60s. We also quite liked a worthy effort from P&G to support a clean water campaign. It contrasted nicely with a Vogue Italia photo shoot on the gulf oil spill. Tasteless? Ingenious? Neither? Nick remained undecided. We enjoyed looking at brand-e's first time publication of the Viral Video chart - have to say that the brillance of the Old Spice ads stands out even more against the rest of, mainly US and somewhat feeble competition… We also had a say in the selection of the stories that would be written about - and decided with the editorial team to keep some things on the slush pile … for example two websites - one for Gap without clear purpose and one for Huggies supposedly showcasing content by babies (highchaircritics.com). One for dedicated new parents maybe but far too cutesy for our taste! Look forward to it all going up tomorrow!

More wealth, less logos?

2010-08-03T10:39:00.007+01:00

When we Tankies travel around the world doing research, we always keep our eyes open for any interesting, innovative ways marketeers have used to reach their audiences. These days, we sometimes come across really nice experiential executions on our travels. A few weeks ago, in Zurich, though, what struck me the most was the absence of advertising. Walking along the side of the lake, where a lot of people hang out, in outdoor cafes and restaurants or just lounging chatting to friends, there was barely a marketing message to be seen. Despite a captive audience on-shore, pedalos had no advertising on them and boats were bobbing on the water, hidden by neutral covers with no logos. Posters were very rare. I finally did come across a bike-rack, appropriately sponsored by a bike-shop. But very little else. Away from the lake, at the local S-bahn station, posters were also relatively sparse. What this did mean was that those that were there, and other efforts such as sample hand-outs, stood out a lot more. Perhaps it had something to do with the more upmarket nature of the neighbourhood. While much of the city's advertising does seem more discreet than that you see elsewhere - the trams, for example, only have a simple strip up top - clearly Zurich as a whole has plenty of outdoor advertising around. But perhaps those that have more, and pay more (as all Swiss clearly have to do, for many things) are on some level coughing up the cash for a life less cluttered?

The buzz about 'the buzz about the social media buzz'

2010-07-19T15:53:00.004+01:00

We were onboard at last Wednesday’s ‘Buzz about Social Media Buzz’ Pecha Kucha event alongside a whole host of other industry insiders talking about the future and potential of online buzz measurement. The event - hosted by brand-e.biz and sponsored by Visible Technologies – was an illuminating afternoon, highlighting both the pressing need for brands to engage with social media, but also the extent to which the industry is still very much in it’s infancy. So Robin Grant from We Are Social gave some very real examples of how they had helped their client at Eurostar to manage the ‘social media tsunami’ that followed their recent yuletide troubles. And Matt Rhodes from Fresh Networks showed how they had used social media to drive buzz around the launch of Jimmy Choo’s trainer range. However, there was also a note of caution from Paul Armstrong at Kindred who claimed that transparency still needs to be the theme of the day when it comes to actually measuring buzz. The methods that are being used are still imperfect – and don’t believe anybody who tells you otherwise. Andrew Grill from Visible Technologies used his time in the spotlight to show how their technology works to make sense of the conversations happening online – and how important the human element still is in deciphering what the mentions of a brand online actually mean. Our very own Claire took to the plate in much this spirit, talking about how social media buzz tools can add an interesting dimension to our work as researchers as a complement to our usual more face-to-face methods. In our recent research into the buzz around ethical world cup campaigns for brands like Puma, Adidas and Nationwide we found that looking at what people were saying online could get you so far in understanding their reactions to specific initiatives. But things got really interesting when we talked to people more directly about the campaigns, as it emerged that people were open to engaging more on these issues, if only they were given a bit more prominence by brands. The lesson for brands appeared to be is that there is real potential to build brand affinity through relevant and engaging ethical initiatives, and so despite the risks there is also a growing argument for giving these initiatives greater prominence

Green? What's that?

2010-07-06T14:27:00.003+01:00

The top 10 ‘green’ brands in the UK according of the ImagePower Green Brands survey – a global poll of over 9000 participants – make for an interesting read That The Body Shop is ranked at number 1 is no surprise – the original ‘cause marketing’ brand here in the UK with an ethical stance right at it’s very core. That said, my feeling is that the products themselves lack relevance for many in today’s marketplace - its position at number one seems to rest more on it’s ethical stance than any real relevance. Innocent is another brand with ‘ethics’ deep in it’s DNA and M&S has its Plan A – which from this evidence seems to have got through to consumers. But it’s the next 4 brands that are really interesting – Asda, Sainsbury, Tesco and Waitrose. Why is this? There are surely more green companies around. Partly this has got to be due to their sheer presence in modern Britain. They are high salience across the population and so it could be argued that they’re bound to come up. However, attached to this is probably the fact that they have strong associations with many of the ‘green’ products that have broken into the mainstream: fairtrade, free range, organic. These are by far the most visible emblems of ethical consumerism – in fact often the only real jumping off points that people have to navigate their choices. Further down the list Boots and Ikea also feature – two stores that have again become part of the fabric of our lives across the country. Here their simplistic, stripped back approach probably also lends them an air of ‘green-ness’ In all, it seems that consumer understandings of what makes a brand ‘green’ are still happening at a fairly surface level They are able to name a few brands with ethics as part of their ‘story’ but beyond this revert to brands with high salience and relevance that may hold associations with green products. More brands that are feel good within the context of my life than brands that are necessarily behaving well. Of course whilst we as researchers are still using terms as woolly as ‘green’ then who can blame them for this?! What this means – environmental, ethical, social concerns? – is so up for interpretation that it’s no wonder it’s attributed on a shallow basis! To be perceived as ‘green’ brands need to engage with consumers on a level that they can understand. One way to do this is to tell a brand story that incorporates some kind of ethical stance – but to take this route authenticity is key. For brands that don’t – or can’t - take this route, it may be enough to just make yourself truly relevant to their lives. If they can identify on some other human level then they are unlikely to openly question your ‘green’ credentials. As the market continues to head in a more ethical direction though and businesses do continue to improve practices, the real danger could be in starting to lag behind the scenes. Whether taking a green stance or not, the real risk is that one slip up can ruin a reputation if it does get out via more involved groups and the media

Judging the IPA Effectiveness Awards Entry Papers

2010-06-23T12:40:00.001+01:00

I spent a fair chunk of the last few weeks immersed in a very large box full of IPA Effectiveness Awards Entry Papers.

Aside from taking up a good working week or more of one’s life – the papers have been really interesting and there are undoubtedly some wonderful case histories which should be jewels in the industry crown.

The Judging Panel met up last week to review the papers which we’d all ‘marked’ individually. We screened in (or out!) what will certainly get a Bronze, and then based on the final Client judging panel, potentially a Silver, Gold or the Grand Prix.

This was a great experience. A room full of talented and incisive thinkers from a range of disciplines.

The debates were always interesting, provocative and questioning – but with a healthy bit of open-mindedness. We all agreed that there were some gems which we felt should be great examples of the potential quality of thinking, execution and measurement in the ad industry in these recession writhen times!

Cringeworthy, or daring brand engagement?

2010-06-21T11:23:00.003+01:00

Here's an article we just had published on brand-e.biz

Asks Sabine Stork.* Durex has teamed up with a local youth TV station in a shoutout for teens to star in the upcoming reality show Virgin Diaires. Wannabes need to upload their audition videos to the LoveBox website ‘to document sensitively how you feel about this touchy subject’. The site kicks off with some cringeworthy questions "Have you ever done it? Yes, in Virgin Diaries we’re talking about the most obvious topic amongst teenagers – the famous first time… how do you feel, is it still ahead of you? Are you interested in documenting your thoughts, feelings… around the first time with a camera?" Well, it really makes you wonder what sort of exhibitionistic teen won’t be excruciatingly embarrassed by this exercise. And won’t they worry about being laughed at by their peers? Still, this is the third series and a quick scan of German youth blogs shows that Virgin Diaries certainly has talkability … some youngsters welcome the show in a spirit of openness, many seem to find the series entertaining but laughable and a bit trashy, others are mortified for the subjects, or simply question whether the footage is really real. Some also wonder if the show does not simply add to pressure on teens to have sex. So, possibly a bit exploitative and cringe-making, but quite canny of Durex – it’s there right at the beginning of its customers ’sector experience’ and puts itself into a somewhat ‘daring’ and slightly controversial context which seems spot on in terms of brand image.

Slovakia, football and sponsorship

2010-06-16T10:49:00.008+01:00

In Slovakia this week where consumers have, of course, caught the World Cup fever and are more than determined to enjoy the event as much as they can. Kia Motors (Official FIFA partner) are helping them do so with matches screened live on large screens in locations such as Bratislava's new waterfront development - the Galleria Eurovea. Complete with DJs, table football and face painting to try and build the atmosphere. The crowd that gathered yesterday to watch the first Slovakian game seemed to really appreciate the efforts the brand had gone to - and when I asked gently what does this make you feel about Kia the emotional proximity gained was clear. "We love Kia, they bring us this and we can all enjoy the great game together" "We love Kia, we love Kia" - chanted repeatedly by a small band of friends! Caught up in the moment? Perhaps. But with a bit more gentle probing, more considered repsonses were also in evidence. "I think I would remember this sunny day and how Kia wanted to be here with me" "Kia do it to sell, but they also love football. You wouldn't do all this if you weren't a fan too" As Sabine says in the post below, if you ask simplistic questions about the impact of events sponsorship on your brand consumers will tell you that they are fair too savvy to be taken in by marketing in this way! If you get the context right and ask the right questions you learn much, much more. Oh, and the score? New Zealand 1 - Slovakia 1 Wishing you better luck on Sunday Slovakia!

Crash reputation can't be a good gift for mobile

2010-06-10T18:01:00.004+01:00

Google's Android mobile operating system is marching steadily into consumers pockets, while its big rival in the PC world, Microsoft, is really suffering in the mobile stakes. In the latest Thinktank column in New Media Age, we wonder whether the Microsoft Windows brand might have helped or hindered its mobile efforts. It's certainly well known - but for some of us, at least, often for the wrong reasons! A lot of smartphones crash occasionally - they are, after all, mini-computers - but picking one with a system that is known for doing so on a PC might be a little bit less appealing.

According to industry analysts Gartner, Android also outsold Apple's iPhone OS in the first quarter this year. Not a big surprise, really, since there is a much wider range of Android devices - and they're getting increasingly attractive to consumers. It certainly means that anyone looking to use smartphones as an advertising or marketing platform must keep Android in mind.

Apple is predictably not too keen on letting competitors near its customers. It has decided to block mobile ad-networks from collecting certain kinds of information about iPhone users. Google, which now owns leading mobile ad network AdMob, isn't best pleased. The peculiarity in Apple's new iPhone rules is that it is happy to work with third parties, unless these are owned or affiliated with developers or distributors of handsets. Not being sore about the competition, then!

Charging up brand presence...

2010-06-08T11:57:00.005+01:00

If you've travelled from Heathrow recently then you will have noticed the Samsung charge points liberally scattered around the various departure lounges. What a fantastic idea! Samsung are offering a genuine service for free, and building a tangible real-world presence around it. I've got used to the idea of being able to juice up in the lounge, to squeeze that little bit more life out of my laptop over a long-haul journey. The consumer in me can't help but feel warm towards Samsung for giving me that opportunity. As time has passed though the service has lapsed somewhat, with powerpoints dropping out of service or becoming more temperamental. Last time I travelled was particulalrly bad with none of the power points in my lounge working. This obviously took the shine off the service, especially now that I had come to expect it, even rely on it. In all, hats off to Samsung for providing this useful service, a good example of how brands should be using their marketing to offer something that is genuinely of use to consumers. However, just like online, offline presences need an ongoing commitment to make them work. Without this brand owners risk appearing half-hearted and undermining the very real warmth that genuinely useful initiatives should be generating.

Unifying messaging by habit?

2010-06-01T16:52:00.006+01:00

No matter what label you put on it, the idea that unified or converged messaging is something that's perfect for consumers has long been held as something of a mantra in the world of telecoms. The question is whether consumers are really on board with it. Currently, different types of messaging are often used for quite different types of conversations, so what does that mean for the integration idea and how it will ultimately take hold? Thinktank explores this in its latest column in New Media Age.

In Africa an app is not yet an 'app'...

2010-05-20T11:17:00.004+01:00

On our recent travels in Africa – with fieldwork taking us to both South Africa and Nigeria in the last couple of months - I’ve been struck by how much young people are using the Internet on their phone to download content: from web browsers like Opera, to IM clients like MSN or eBuddy to just plain ol’ music and movies And what’s really interesting is that they’re doing this on handsets that in the hands of UK consumers probably never really made it past their network’s WAP portal For many of these guys, the lack of easily available reliable web access has made the mobile their primary access point for the net, giving them the impetus to really try to maximise it’s potential So a lot of the young guys and girls that we talked to are making quite heavy use of ‘apps’ on their mobiles – but accessing them directly from the Internet, from distributed sites – in a very different way to the new ‘closed’ systems that we are getting used to in the West. But in the absence of any brand really stepping in and talking about this phenomenon, like Apple has done throughout Europe and the US, there isn’t really yet the vocabulary to pull these different programs together. The term ‘app’ hasn’t caught on and users talk about individual pieces of software as if they were all very distinct. All of which goes to highlight what a clever job Apple has done in the West – by facilitating the delivery of software and pulling it together under an easy to understand ‘catch-all’ they’ve managed to both popularise and stake claim to the whole ‘category’. In Africa on the other hand – where Apple has nowhere near the same share of mind that it does over here - there are still opportunities for someone to step in to ‘name & claim’ the app market. You might wonder whether this would actually be possible - or desirable - given that consumers see the 'apps' as distinct and a range of players clearly already offer them. But hearing other concerns over mobile viruses (again, barely heard of in the West), there is perhaps an opportunity for other mobile brands to pull together and ‘certify’ the software that is already out there under a trusted name, guaranteed virus-free. In doing so there is a chance to not only claim the app market but also gain points as an innovator, before someone else steps in to do it

Eco Japan

2010-04-20T17:10:00.005+01:00

In my experience, it's quite a widely held view in the UK that Asian countries are somewhat lagging behind Western countries when it comes to eco-awareness. And judging from my recent experience in Japan, climate change and environmentalism do seem to be less of a 'hot topic' there - in the media or as part of the 'national conversation'. But look around and evidence of environmentally friendly behaviour is everywhere, from the litter free streets, to the almost religiously used recycling bins, present in every home but also outside every convenience store. What seems to be the real difference vs the UK is the relative lack of debate or hand-wringing around the issue. Perhaps stemming from the culture's Shinto roots, respect for the environment is taken as a bit more of a given to aim towards. That said, awareness does seem to be growing and brands are beginning to take on more of a visible 'green' tinge - from familiar names like Starbucks with their 'reuse, reuse, reuse, recycle' carrier bags to more local brands such as this 'eco market' (ie second hand clothes store!) below. Whether this is real eco or more a case of green-washing I'll leave up to you...

Nokia Global Youth Study - live!

2010-04-20T14:06:00.003+01:00

Just as we've pointed out how it's not often we can share findings from our work with the world at large (see post below), there's another opportunity to get some insight from us. It's clearly a generous sort of month!

Thinktank's own Nick Roberts will be presenting findings from the Global Youth Exploration we've recently carried out for Nokia at Brands, Bands & Social Media Savvy next week (28th of April) at the IAB in Covent Garden, London. Feel free to email us for more details.

It's about the services, not how you pay

2010-04-09T10:24:00.003+01:00

It has been suggested that consumers are pretty wary of paying through their phone bill (by using 09-numbers, or by texting in to pay or vote) after all the problems with ringtone subscriptions and TV voting over the past few years. Consumers don't see it that way, though.

Quite unsurprisingly, they focus on the services they get and the value that gives them - so if their vote can help Jedward escape (or get, depending on your preferences) the chop, they're quite happy with calling an 09 number to do so. If it's a question of a horoscope line, and that's not what tickles their fancy, reactions will be quite different, however.

Thinktank ran consumer groups, carried out quant research and even sized the market for all of these services for premium rate regulator PhonepayPlus. You can download a full report of all our findings about consumer attitudes to phonepaid services here.

Time for a spring clean?

2010-03-23T12:22:00.003+01:00

It is surprising how often you browse around the web and find tired old content from brands who would normally kill (or at least spend a great many £££s) not to be thought of as 'staid'.

It seems like all too often, digital initiatives get kicked off but then not followed through - and the remnants forgotten - and therefore left for all to see, months later.

Because consumers expect digital channels to be dynamic, this can do damage to your image. Similarly, forums without any comments doesn't really give the right impression if you'd like to be viewed as a brand consumers engage with.

So, as spring now seems to finally be approaching - time for a little digital clean-out, to make sure it all works and serves you well? And don't forget to check your mobile activities, as well - the topic of our latest column in New Media Age.

When is a fan not a fan?

2010-03-19T13:43:00.004+01:00

So your brand has a Facebook page?? And it has so many thousand fans?? Has to be a good thing right?! Well as today's furore over on Nestle's Facebook page shows - a 'fan' on Facebook is not necessarily a fan and can in fact be the complete opposite! Even when perceptions of a brand run higher, in our experience it is often the case that people become 'fans' only when they are being offered something in return, with little real engagement or interest from either side beyond intial sign up. The number of Facebook 'fans' a brand has is often thrown around today as a metric of engagement and marketing success but it is clear that we are still some way off of measuring the real success of a lot of online engagement. Whilst 'hard figures' may seem like a convenient measure of a brand's success, we need to be paying more attention to the 'quality' of the conversations we're involved with as brands online. Are we engaging with those who have something to say about us online? Do we feel present and responsive? Does it feel like there is a human (and not a 'corporate drone') doing the talking? Looked at from this perspective Nestle's sudden spike in fans takes on a very different meaning! They may be getting engagement but it is mostly of a very negative kind - and unfortunately so far they appear to have been making things worse for themselves!

Better City, Better Life

2010-03-17T12:53:00.006+01:00

Shanghai is frantic with activity this week in preparation for the coming Expo 2010 - it seems that every available outdoor space has been devoted to adverts and experiential communicating the Expo theme 'Better City, Better Life'.

Whilst the advertising is perhaps predictably futuristic in feel, some of the experiential has a more down-to-earth touch. In one park we spotted the Expo Volunteer Team iron clothes for Shanghai residents, treating them to a new haircut and providing free a blood pressure checks. And middle-class consumers in the city seem to have genuinely bought into this optimism about what the 6 month long exhibition will bring. In the words of one woman "I think we will have to be more open and more global, the world will come to us and we will share more. I also think there will be more jobs that are interesting as a result"

Oh what a lovely fit

2010-03-12T13:00:00.002+01:00

We often talk about how important it is that branded entertainment propositions really feel right for a brand. You want something that gels with your ethos and makes sense, not just a 'fun thing' which just happens to have your branded sticker on it.

So, while this wasn't released yesterday, it's still worth giving a special cheer to Havana Club's "Havana Cultura" project with Giles Peterson. Credible, great link to Cuba and simply spot on - not to mention that the music's great, too!

Don't miss the flight...

2010-03-04T17:00:00.002+01:00

Spotted this week at Hamburg airport : a really nice piece of experiental by Europcar. I particularly like how the pop-up playground includes a 'departures board' so that no matter how engaged and competitive you become with the car racing, hopefully you won't miss that flight!

Smashing bubbles...

2010-03-03T17:24:00.002+01:00

Ever think about how easy it is to assume you know what consumers want because you are one yourself? Our latest column in New Media Age talks about how important it is to remember that we all live in our own little bubbles - and we don't know what those leading other lives will think until we've checked with them.

Thinktank and mobile research - live!

2010-02-24T11:29:00.003+01:00

We love using new technology for research - but it has to be right for the project, not just 'bells and whistles' that has no real purpose. One of our benchmark projects using technology was for Nokia, where mobile phones were at the centre of our quest to get to the heart of what creates "brand love" - consumers' emotional response to brands.

Our consumers used mobiles to document their interactions with brands and uploaded these notes, pictures and videos to a moblog. We then invited them along to face-to-face group discussions, allowing us to probe further around what they had submitted. The technology played an important part, but so did the more "traditional" element of meeting and speaking to people!

It's a project that has generated lots of interest - and we've been asked to talk about it further! So pop along to the Mobile Research Conference in London and meet Sabine Stork, Senior Partner at Thinktank - she'll be speaking about it there on the 9th of March.

A lesson in what not to do

2010-02-18T18:03:00.007+01:00

The mobile phone industry is just about to finish off its annual jamboree, the Mobile World Congress (MWC), in Barcelona. This is, of course, an industry event, but that's still no excuse for quite such painful corporate slogans, brought to us courtesy of Mobile Entertainment magazine.

Mobile operator club the GSM Association, which runs MWC, is actively courting the entertainment industry these days. One can only imagine what Hollywood types make of this...

Things like these always make me think of that most classic of instances of cringe-worthiness - the KPMG corporate anthem (not as widespread on the web these days) And...hmm...they're in telecoms, too. Is there a pattern here?

Google Bus

2010-02-10T19:02:00.003+01:00

We're also in China this week- and have seen quite a few buses carrying these simple, yet bold Google ads which seem to stand out well against the clutter of Beijing's top shopping streets.

Asian Fitness

2010-02-09T12:37:00.010+01:00

Bangkok is getting ever more slick and air conditioned these days so was charmed to come across this rather quaint open-air gym in Lumpini park.

Having said that 'proper' gyms and 'having a good physique' are becoming trendy in Asia and Delhi - where young guys in particular seem to become very body/muscle conscious - still seems a bit under-serviced. Perhaps we could invest in a 'Bodytank' sideline there?

A bus door may not be what you think it is...

2009-12-07T13:05:00.004+01:00

Back from some groups and depths in Brazil. Sao Paolo is huge and has a traffic problem to match. Never mind congestion charges - how would you like a license plate that doesn't allow you to enter the city on a certain weekday?

I got chatting to our interpreter about language and semantics since we were looking at some specific expressions in our research. English words are entering the language there, like everywhere. As a Swede who left Sweden a long time ago, I have at times been confused by English slang terms that have become part of the vernacular in direct translation - words that in Swedish could seem positive are negative because the English slang meaning is what's been adopted.

But sometimes, of course, the English just gets used as is and adapted to local needs. In Brazil, I was told, a billboard is referred to as 'Outdoor' - clearly deriving from the phrase 'outdoor advertising'. So what, then, would you call a billboard on the side of a bus? Well, Bus-door, of course!

Forget Second Life - focus on This World!

2009-11-18T19:00:00.004+01:00

Another Thinktank think-piece published in New Media Age recently - this time on augmented reality mobile apps for kids. The neat thing is that technology that's becoming more commonplace (far later than what the mobile industry might have expected...) really is now starting to 'unlock' another dimension on the world. In this case, iPhone app "Hidden Parks" overlays a magic world on top of various parks, letting kids explore the 'real world', only enhanced!

Clearly, augmented reality is not just for kids - digital, location-based 'tags' may start to tell us much more about our surroundings overall, if we choose to switch them on. And clearly, there are ample opportunities here for brands to get a look in, too...

Focus Groups and Real Life

2009-11-18T13:29:00.004+01:00

Here's a postscript to a couple of our entries on this blog - very nice Times article on how politicians confronted with focus groups are a bit startled to find that most people don't care about policies and don't even taken notice of any of the big media stories.

Good on the old focus groups for giving politicians a dose of reality! Whilst it is true that conventional' research does lends itself less well to observing 'naturally occuring' conversations, groups are just quite effective at unearthing attitudes that otherwise would be under the radar. Let's face it, it's pretty unlikely that the silent majority will go online explicitly stating the depth of their ignorance and disengagement.

Trouble is that politicians just like many marketers and media people can live in a bubble in which everyone shares similar preoccupations and there is just a chance that observing online chatter may further feed into this.

Our role as researchers should be to ground strategy in people's real life... using whatever research method is best suited to do so.

Sad but true - politics is a 'low involvement' sector for lots of people - so by all means use 'pull 'research methods to find out what the influential interested minority think but don't forget the 'conventional' push to check out views from those people who don't talk about your subject without being asked first…

Or you'll never find out they have Ed Balls and Ed Milliband down as prominent Tory brothers and name Whoopi Goldberg as a figure in British public life ...

We're in the Media...

2009-11-04T15:59:00.003+01:00

Well, anyway we're being quoted twice at brand-e.biz - once on social media monitoring... as we said before on these pages, really great but in the end not the Holy Grail of research methods either...

Then there's also an article with reference to our report on Branded Entertainment (which may actually be better be called 'brand engagement') on brands being nice and helpful. The example here is an iphone app from Virgin which is meant to help against flight phobia. Whilst there may be a recent trend towards nice (and ethical - as per Jessica's post on Monday) we did idenitify perceived 'altruism' as key in generating positive emotion around a brand quite some time ago.

In our 06 research people tended to feel closer to brands that gave 'something back to them' - and that didn't need to be high fallutin' stuff but could be really entertaining advertising, innovative products and services that fitted into people's lives. Conversely, there was real annoyance about brands that seemed to be in it 'just for the money'. As with so many things, the Internet and observable WOM are likely to have highlighted this for brands - hence more niceness which can only be a good thing, surely!

Mobile doing more good than you might have thought

2009-11-02T17:02:00.004+01:00

We've been tweeting an interesting story on CNN about using mobile to crowdsource micro-tasks in voluntary work. (Surely you're already following us? Thinktank_Int ) It's far from the only 'good' that mobile is doing, though. While for us in the developed world, mobiles have helped make life easier, for many in the developing world they have provided much more than convenience.

Often what seems to us to be simple applications can make a massive difference. A vast number of people who have very little can use mobiles to check which market gives them the best price for produce before they decide where to go to sell, find work and so on. In markets including the Philippines and Kenya, mobile is the most convenient way to send money for many people.

Closer to home, mobile devices can make a significant difference to people with disabilities. Devices like the Nokia Communicator and BlackBerries, for example, often proved transformational for the deaf or hard of hearing.

These are just a few general examples - there are many, many more. The surprising thing, perhaps, is how little we actually hear about these from the mobile industry - especially since consumers are increasingly keen on companies that are genuinely doing good.

Amsterdam Dance Event, part I

2009-11-02T11:34:00.002+01:00

Bit of a belated first blog from the Amsterdam Dance Event, where I participated in a panel last Friday. I love ADE for many reasons. Partly it's the buzz and friendliness that's so great. A lot of the companies in the electronic music industry are quite small and there are masses of business discussions going on in a way rarely seen in the mobile business I used to work in.

Another plus point is the location - the conference part of ADE is held in the lovely Felix Meritis building, with creaky wooden floors over several levels (no faceless conference hotels here!!). Not to mention that ADE is accompanied by a huge club festival, with some serious DJ talent in clubs across Amsterdam. What's not to like??

Unsurprisingly, there's a lot of passionate people working in this field - to a great extent, they're in it to a because they live and breathe the music.

That can be both a blessing and a curse.

On the potentially negative side, it can be tricky to get enough input from the world at large, with new impetus, to get to really new ideas, concepts or solutions if your life is completely meshed with your work. You might need to consciously go do something completely different now and then just to see your own world from a different perspective.

There was also some interesting discussion on my panel (which was all about problem solving) about how many smaller labels getting their music onto the important download sites (Beatport being key for this market) but then not doing much further to market it. But for all its emotional appeal, even music doesn't speak for itself - you've got to get out there, understand the market and make your potential customers aware of what you've got. Really key (again) not to assume your customers are just like you.

Few more things to say from ADE; stay tuned...

If you can't beat 'em...

2009-10-28T14:41:00.006+01:00

Just spotted an interesting article in good old Research Mag (actually rather good online) ... In effect it's saying that research is increasingly out of step with people's experience of social media and the Internet (and even of phone calls for research purposes) when it continues to try and ring fence itself from marketing.

I totally agree that researchers claiming the high ground - we're not trying to sell anything here - is often not relevant online. As far as consumers are concerned, they're interacting with a manifestation of a company that does want to sell to them at some point so it makes no sense to pretend otherwise.

Plus, as the article points out, both research and brands can benefit by seeing research as part of a brand experience. People generally like giving their views if they're invested in a brand - and tend to think better of those companies who make an effort to listen to them.

Yes, there are issues about how 'biased' or otherwise these views are within a brand context, which is why the Tank believes it's important to ground opinions garnered online with more 'conventional' interactions. And of course we have to obey by the data protection laws - which may sometimes make things a bit tricky...and as some of the commentators point out may need some client education.

But we need to be aware that social forums and online brand interactions are more and more used to supplant research as we know it, often not by researchers or Insight Departments. Apart from doing justice to consumer experience there are pragmatic commercial reasons why we just have to embrace these cross-over marketing/research interactions. A purist approach won't do us any favours, just give us less of a look in...

Taking a step back...

2009-10-28T12:14:00.001+01:00

For some time now, I've been writing monthly columns on mobile for New Media Age - you can find the latest set of musings on the need to link up brand and product here.

But I thought it might be a good idea to backtrack a little, too - because while products and services need to gel with the brand, they certainly also must be right for the consumer in the first place. There are so many risks of that not happening in big, tech-focused organisations that I thought it worthwhile sharing a piece from a couple of months ago, so here goes...

Keeping true to consumer needs takes clear vision

In an ideal world mobile products and services would be designed to serve the needs of the consumers they target, both in design, execution and price. They would then be marketed in a way that pushed target users’ buttons.

Mobile services can be a time-saver and an essential tool for work and play, but only if they work well and meet a need, be that functional or emotional. If not, the technology is anything from useless to downright detrimental.

In reality, from concept through to execution, marketing strategy and launch, there’s a myriad of twists and turns at which the product risks taking on a life of its own, sidestepping those consumer needs. Often the reasons for this are as human as what drives the consumers you’re trying to please in the first place. Far too often operators or vendors cause us to struggle through what appears to be the result of sheer thoughtlessness. For every good implementation of a mobile service, there are plenty of convoluted and hard-to-use ones.

Internal handovers from one department to the next frequently lose the essence of what made the proposition great for consumers in the first place. Perhaps not enough details are passed on, or internal rivalries or team targets fuel changes. There’s a recession on, but if you choose to go with a solution that’s harder to use or works less well purely for cost-saving reasons, you’re on shaky ground.

Once the product or service is ready, the marketing needs to push the right buttons too. Even brilliant creative work can fail to take interest through to purchase; when it’s less brilliant, it can put a spanner in the works. Remember Orange’s rather clever idea to have ‘mobile trainers’ helping its customers, which was completely undermined by the hugely irritating know-it-all youngster in the ad.

Granted sometimes the concept itself is flawed and has no foundation in consumer reality. I once worked on a project that made no sense to anyone who put themselves in the consumer’s shoes. Yet investments continued because it was the CEO’s brainchild. In today’s market, you’ll pay dearly for such vanity. Similarly, big mobile companies’ need to offer music or sports services sometimes seems more driven by a desire to hang out with celebrities than in meeting consumer needs. Surely it must be okay to be that enabler who isn’t as cool but makes it all work?

It’s surprising how low the priority is on making sure the essence of consumer needs that drive a service travels with the product as it makes its way to the user. Often it’s because we all have our personal experience to draw on - we’re all consumers too. But if we don’t have a chance to see how users react, a concept often takes on its own truths, fuelled by the views of those whose minds are deeply steeped in mobile knowledge. That’s quite different from most consumers out there. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen people completely non-plussed about something that seems utterly obvious to its creators.

Of course, what consumers say isn’t the whole story, but it has rarely been more risky not to let them guide you. And no matter how attached you are to your idea, be humble enough to accept that some aspects might be wrong, which means you need to change things to attract those people who will generate your revenues.

The New Qual - and the old

2009-10-15T19:43:00.004+01:00

It has been a while - but here we are-a-blogging again with new vigour and verve!

Anyway, came across this article on the much exaggerated death of the focus group yesterday.

I heartily agree - even if the references are American they're still very relevant ... though I think that as qual researchers we need to argue our case slightly less defensively. We don't want to be seen as luddites, do we?

So, let's start by extolling and completely embracing the wonderful opportunities of the web - so many more possibilities, so many more bites at the cherry but also only delivering a part of the truth - and not necessarily self-explanatory.

In the context of social buzz measurement and listening in on conversations online qualitative research can and should have the following clear roles: add our precious interpretation to what is said online but more importantly ground it, put it into context and give it more meaning by conducting through face-to-face interaction with a wider range of people (than the 8% who blog or tweet - let alone the smaller sub-group who talk about brands). Qual research can contextualise what is being said online by observing and talking to people 'in the flesh' - some of whom may care rather less about the sector and brands than those who express a view online.

There are a lot of social media people talking about getting something 'more real' through 'natural conversations' - and yes, they do have a point. We're excited to listen in too. But, hold on a minute - this reality is still only one slice of the truth - and neglects quite a few others.

In the final instance research using social networks can give us new qual data to digest - but on its own it could be quite misleading and confusing. Mr and Mrs Client - you need good thinking, you need to understand what is NOT said, you need to understand the underlying emotions and motivations, you need to make sure you get views from people who would not spontaneously talk to you - you need qual - the new and the old!

Long Live Great Thinking!

2007-10-17T13:10:00.000+01:00

In between doing car groups in Norwood and (a bit more glamorously, perhaps) listening to girls in Shanghai talking about fashion, I was asked to speak at the APG Battle of Big Thinking Day last Thursday. I was in the Big Research Thinking heat.

Anyway, the daunting title almost led me to try and build some edifice around the controversial or wacky – you know how the industry is obsessed with “techniques” and “technology”!

But at the eleventh hour I realised this is one of the big problems.

All too often people are seduced by ‘novelty’ (‘we want a new technique’) almost for its own sake without really considering its absolute relevance.

But let’s face it, it’s Great Thinking that should be paramount in Qualitative Research (that’s the ‘Big Think’ thought) and techniques are more often ‘means’ not absolute ends!

I’ve quoted a couple of real anonymous examples from the Black Museum – projects on condoms and incontinence pads (it was two different projects – not one!) in each case a ludicrous ‘technique’ chosen purely because it was “different”!

Don’t get me wrong - here in our Thinktank Immersion suite we’re all for pushing the envelope and doing new stuff but only when we think it will take us further. We use things like mob-blogs, e-panels, ‘Live’ Encounters, Brand Buddies, Mix-Up Groups and so on – but these approaches have to be RIGHT AND RELEVANT within the context of each project!

Sadly we all get caught up in a ‘Novelty Arms Race’ and poor old Group sessions (actually a great THINKING forum in need of a new brand name!) can be the casualty.

I say don’t ‘throw the baby out’ – groups can be great resource for working on problems and issues – there’s so much you can do to turbo charge them too – before, during and after.

At the end of the day I feel strongly that Qual Research should be about GREAT THINKING – because that’s what it is – a Thinking ‘Craft’ and we should use and abuse whatever methods or techniques will enable and stimulate that.

Taking the devil out of the detail...

2007-09-21T13:09:00.000+01:00

Part of the skill of ad research lies in getting respondents to look beyond the executional details of (often pretty ‘representative’!) stimulus to the underlying idea that will really make the finished ad. But as I’ve seen over the course of three weeks fieldwork in Ukraine, Croatia and Russia, seemingly innocent executional details can mean a lot more to a brand’s target audience than is sometimes realised… So in the particular ads we were researching for a well know global financial services provider (not Northern Rock!), the setting, the situation, the item purchased or the assumed relationship between characters could all have an effect on how they were understood. So what may have been a regular box of chocolates to a creative became a luxury item to a Russian consumer… an ad set in a Chinese restaurant sparked discussions as to what sort of person would go there and as such who the ad was aimed at… a fast paced as became a comment on the speed of a service… Not necessarily bad messages to be getting through but unintended and, more importantly, obscuring the actual intended communication. In this case, the search for meanings in the finer detail of an ad can be put down partly to lesser market maturity and product penetration - people are seeking reassurance about products and services that they are still getting used to. But we feel that there are also cultural forces at play… in our experience of research in Eastern Europe we have often come across this more rational interpretation of ads (we will leave the anthropological musings as to why for another post!). It is the core idea that is ultimately going to make or break an ad. With any luck (or some solid research in the early stages of ad development!) other details can help to explain that idea. But just as often they do exactly the opposite and actually obscure communication. And the more that is going on in an ad, the more room there is for misinterpretation. The devil really can be in the detail… if you want to avoid misunderstanding then it pays to focus on the core truth and beyond that try to keep things simple!

Research Supports Creativity Shocker Pt II

2007-09-18T13:46:00.000+01:00

Yet another example of research supporting a creative endeavour...who would have thought that this year's Oscar winner'The Lives of Others' found a distributor with the help of research. Even more amazingly, the director has said so publicly! Unsung heroes no more...

Consumers and Big Apes

2007-09-14T15:39:00.000+01:00

As I was saying…it's been a busy summer…and we had some fascinating international projects on … for example eaves dropping on Indian men talking about friendship and marriage, Croats about their finances, Russian women about their bodies… But judging by the reactions of YouTube, the marketing blogs and press and even the mainstream press, the most exciting project we were involved in was back in Blighty ie researching the Fallon/Cadbury Gorilla ad. It's the sort of thing nobody would expect to 'make it' through research - bold, genre breaking for chocolate, completely different for the brand. Don't the detractors of qual research tell us about the conservatism of group respondents, their lack of imagination etc? But hey, here's qual groups vindicated, with a bit of sensitive moderation group respondents were generally quite capable of appreciating Gorilla and its creative idea and imagining the ad as quirkily humorous, joyful and uplifting, brilliantly different, something that would be a talking point! Well, as far as I'm concerned there's a couple of learnings here…first of all, consumers can actually be more imaginative and happy to embrace the new than some people expect…but ad moderation needs to be sensitive and adapted to what you're actually researching. If you're looking at an idea that's approaching branded entertainment, it tends to help an awful lot to set the scene in a reasonably 'naturalistic' way - ie have consumers imagine they're in their living rooms, switching on the TV after work and then - 'this comes on your screen' rather than loading the dice and setting conventional expectations by telling them they're about to watch an ad. It's just a wee trick but it can really avoid over-rational disappointment at a lack of product information. At the same time it's worth appreciating that some folk are more literal-minded and conservative than others - some consumers need a campaign, an idea to seed - and to gain cultural buzz - before they start appreciating it. This can be partially addressed in the groups - by exposing different campaign elements, 'fake' PR coverage, by lightening the mood with projectives and creative games. Sometimes it also helps simply to counter overly literal posturing by asking whether they'd really take ads quite so seriously in real life… In the final instance though the onus is still on analysis and interpretation. This can mean that that we may downweight the reactions of more laggard and conservative respondents to ground-breaking ideas, considering that at least some of them are likely to catch on once the ad goes 'live' . There are no hard and fast rules as to how we do this or by how much - experience in ad research will tell us. And of course, an experienced client will know how much alienation his brand can and should take!

More on Neurocharlatans

2007-09-13T11:38:00.000+01:00

Back to normal after a long and strangely hectic summer…before we return with some more meaty entries - let me draw your attention to an article in Adage (found the reference on Mark Earl's blog) on one of my pet subjects - neuro-charlatanerie. Also for those who read German (I know, not many), have a look at this article in Die Zeit explaining how the pretty pictures of the brain showing areas that 'light up' during a certain activity come into being…Turns out that they are actually models/constructs based on statistical calculations projected on two dimensional drawings, not as one is led to believe, 'real' photographic evidence of what is going on in the brain. Funny that that one isn't better known… Anyway, I wish I could share Mark Earl's optimism that 'this nonsense is about to run its course'. Would be nice but my guess is that it will indeed 'expand like crazy' (as one of the proponents says in the Adage article) when/if the costs of technical equipment go down. Science on the one hand too complex to understand for the average marketer, on the other offering pretend-certainty and as such opportunity to cover decision-makers' backsides seems to offer quite a powerful combination…

Adventures in a Second Life

2007-05-18T16:27:00.000+01:00

Well, everyone's talking about it so a Thinktank volunteer had to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon to make up an alter ego, er, atavar, called Trixi and start a Second Life in search of the promised land of marketing opportunities.

Well, it was (sort of) interesting, if not quite for me. Being a bit of a girl I liked raising Trixi's cheekbones and lengthening her legs and was grateful a free pair of jeans so she didn't have to wear the weird faux middle age kit she was 'born' with.

But from then on I struggled… in all I found the experience rather frustrating and certainly something for 'the specialist'. I persevered for longer than the reportedly average 15 mins and went in active search of entertainment, education and brand sites which offered me a new level of interactivity and was disappointed on all fronts. Failed to find a cinema which had sounded interesting (can't say the maps were very helpful); clubs were only open in the evenings (sorry, but I do have better things to do on a Saturday night), an educational institution required me to get into a lift which then failed to operate and a site on philosophy was only going to 'open soon'.

Finally, I located the Sony Ericsson site which took the shape of a replica of their CEBIT stall. Looked good at first - with promoters on site who one could turn to for information, free T-Shirts and phones to try out. However, when I looked at/clicked on some of the phones there was no way of Trixi directly interacting with them in 'the world' and I was merely redirected to the relevant bit of the ordinary SE website. Boring. As, by the way, were the conversations between visitors and promoters who seemed to be mostly German. 'So you live in Kassel, are you a Frankfurt fan then?' So much for being an outlet for creativity.

I flew around a bit more, found making my own clothes too complicated (again, couldn't be done in the world, needed separate download AND Photoshop), was amazed by the number of people who named their atavars 'Nokia' and 'Sony' and marvelled at the long list of pornographic sites.

I was impressed by some very intricate and evocative graphics but then had a mildly disconcerting encounter with a satyr like male nude who kept creeping up behind Trixi. I flew off in haste to re-connect with my First Life.

So what's my verdict… Well, given that 2nd Life is hugely user-unfriendly and that there is such a focus on porn, I am - as are more and more others - not entirely convinced that (mainstream) brands really need to spend money on a presence there. And I'm not sure whether half-hearted efforts like Sony Ericsson's will make that much of an impression.

Having said that, Second Life could give both brands and researchers access to some quite interesting audiences. It is likely that the regulars of the site are at least at highly technophile - and although the Sonys, Nokias and German football fans might not be amongst them, I'd like to believe Linden Lab's PR that some of them are quite creative.

So perhaps Second Life could be a platform for playful interaction and experimentation with some opinion leading types. As I've said before, there could be opportunities for idea generation, especially for experiential brands - which could also work as PR/branded experiences for the relevant companies. If Thinktank had a client prepared to take the plunge, I'd be willing to get together with some geeks and look into to resurrecting Trixi as a Second Life Researcher!

Have you seen the sofa?

2007-05-17T16:59:00.000+01:00

I’ve just had a lovely lunchtime experience – all thanks to the marketing people at sofa.com I was stood at a bus stop with about four other people and a moving sofa came tearing past – stylish brown leather (I think) complete with pot plant, comfy cushions and magazines. Oh! and a www.sofa.com message. At least two other people at the bus stop laughed out loud, the guy “driving” the sofa waved (not often you get to write that sentence) and when I look around everyone was smiling. For a moment, it was a bit like being at a village carnival! Unfortunately with a top speed of 92mph the moving sofa moved quicker than I so no photo… (although click on the youtube link below to really see it in action) The success of ambient marketing is notoriously difficult to assess, but observing these people you could see that this mechanic has certainly achieved cut through and consumer interaction – quite literally at the street level. How successful it is in terms of call to action is much harder to say. I cheekily asked the woman who got on the bus with me whether she would visit sofa.com when she next wanted some furniture and she said “I don’t know, but they seem like nice people don’t they”. Not quite a resounding yes, but I do wonder if this could mean that on brand building level the moving sofa has had some impact?

Bluetooth ads: a personal experience

2007-05-14T17:00:00.000+01:00

Having received my first bluetoothed ad this weekend, I thought I'd share my personal reactions... The invitation to accept a message from 'Qashqai' appeared on my phone as I was sitting drinking a coffee and minding my own business in a cafe in Brixton. My initial caution (I've had viruses beamed to my phone in the past) soon gave in to basic human curiosity so I clicked yes. Going through my mind at the time: Who is Qashqai? What are they sending me? Why are they sending it to me?! My underlying assumption: this was from somebody sitting in the cafe As I waited for the transfer to complete I scanned the other customers in the cafe.... Then this arrived on my phone Judging from the reactions on YouTube the ad (from TBWA) has been a success, at least in terms of popularity. And when I've seen it on TV, I've always considered it to be a well made piece of film. But in this case my reaction wasn't quite as positive.. I should begin by saying that I'm not the biggest expert on cars - or the name Qashqai may have given the game away earlier. As it was I was just plain disappointed when I received the message and saw that it was an ad. I was expecting a personal message, some sort of contact with somebody else. This is what I'm used to using my phone for. Even if the message had been from a complete stranger, that would have been ok. But this was just impersonal. What made matters worse was that the message from Qashqai kept flashing onto my screen every 5 minutes or so, even after I had already accepted and viewed the ad. There was no intelligence behind this message, no personal contact, no connection being made. So not exactly intrusive, just a bit of a letdown. How my reaction might change if this became a more regular thing I can only guess, but I do know that my expectations have now been lowered for the future - probably to the point where I'd be less likely to accept any unsolicited bluetooths! What I suspect could have made a difference is if there had been some kind of interactivity, some kind of connection - even if with a website or link for further information, anything that gives me a reason to be engaged and INTERACT - this is after all what phones are for.. My personal reaction isn't too far from responses we have seen when talking to consumers about the concept of mobile advertising. It's acceptable - expected even - but runs the risk of being considered invasive if it offers nothing in return. In this case, I had no warning of what I was receiving - I was simply being asked to watch a TV-type ad in return for nothing. In the age of 'permission based marketing', mobile advertising in particular - due to the intensely personal medium - should be offering more than this if it wants to create a positive reaction. PS Having said all this I guess the whole exercise was a success on some level - I am now talking about the ad after all. It would just have been so much better if it could have done so without disappointing along the way!!

I'm Not A Plastic Bag

2007-05-03T17:27:00.000+01:00

Something I saw yesterday evening really made me wonder about where we are going with ‘Green’ marketing…

A well-dressed, fashionable woman in her 30s or 40s was stood near Paddington Station looking for a cab. Over her shoulder was an Anya Hindmarch ‘I’m Not a Plastic Bag’ shopper. You know - the one that was a limited edition for Sainsbury’s and which had customers queuing from 3am earlier this week.

Seemingly oblivious to any inconsistency in her behaviour the woman was holding two plastic carrier bags, whilst the Hindmarch bag itself was visibly near empty (save perhaps one or two handbag essentials).

We’ve said before on this blog that ‘Green’ has definitely become more of a mainstream concern and have been optimistic about what this could mean. Yet, observing this behaviour does make me worry that in becoming so mainstream ‘Green’ becomes just another temporary and rather meaningless fashion badge with people saying but not really doing ‘Green’.

The event appears to have been successful in terms of media attention (even with the question of production in China) and yet if Hindmarch and Sainsbury’s really do want to challenge our behaviour should they not have produced enough of the bags for all of Sainsbury’s 16 million customers?

As Justin King, CEO Sainsbury’s is quoted as saying on www.wearewhatwedo.org
“We strongly believe that encouraging customers to shop with re-usable bags is the best solution, and this one-off Anya Hindmarch bag will make it much more appealing for customers to do that. It’s also great news that our 16 million customers will be able to buy an Anya Hindmarch bag as well as helping the environment.”

The 0.16% rule?

2007-04-30T12:07:00.000+01:00

The figures for active participation in Web 2.0 sites seem to keep on getting lower (Hitwise via Guardian - sorry no web link so paraphrased below)

The 1% rule (1% make content, 10% add, 89% just view) overstates it. Of US internet visits to YouTube, only 0.16% were to upload videos; 0.2% of Flickr visits were to upload photos.

So most visits to Web 2.0 sites are to view and not to share. This comes as no big surprise - our research into blogging has always suggested that most people are just not really interested at the moment in taking the time and effort to create and share online content. However, the tiny percentages here might shock, even given previous reports of low participation… Look closely at these figures though and it’s clear that they actually tell us something different to the 1% rule – another example of the need to keep your wits about you in the interpretation of quant data. The 1% rule deals in terms of users. These figures are in terms of visits. In the reporting the two have been conflated so that 1% appears to have been a massive over-estimation. In fact, these figures don’t give us any idea what proportion of say YouTube users are actually uploading videos. They just tell us what proportion of visits to the site are to upload content. These visits could be spread across 0.5% or 10% of users, that we don't know. What they do tell us is that, proportionally speaking, consuming content is still massively more popular than creating it across all users, even though what we’re consuming and where we’re consuming it may be changing. Despite the current buzz around CGM and customer collaboration, brands should keep in mind that these remain niche activities. Until consumers start to change their behaviour en masse any online conversations will be with an exceptional audience, not the mass-market who are likely to make up their customer-base. Who might be listening in is another question...

New Mobile Habits

2007-04-26T16:34:00.000+01:00

Spotted this report on mobile phone usership in Germany - entitled 'Mobiles just for phoning and texting'. That old chestnut. Actually, once you look at the figures a bit more closely, it's not quite true - whilst phoning and texting are indeed the most commonly used functions, the numbers aren't that low for additional features. Considering that still not every phone has a camera, 46% usership ain't that bad. Plus there's considerable use of older functions - 48% calendar and 55% alarm clock. I wouldn't go along with the article's conclusion that many extra functions are 'superfluous' - in fact all our experience in the sector indicates that consumers are quite happy to see mobiles as multi-functional personal techno-hubs. However, there seems to be a continued preference for handset-centric features vs for services that generate revenue for operators. The adoption of camera compares with much lower figures for MMS use as does the emerging use of mp3 on the phone but pitifull uptake of mobile downloads. German Internet use as reported in the above survey remains low at 10%. Having spent years talking to consumers about moibles and mobile services I'm convinced that the biggest barrier to mobile service use remains price - though user experience may also play a part. In sending MMS, downloading, using mp3s etc, consumers must acquire new habits and it is just a general human truth that we tend only to do so if it is made easy for us and/or there is a clear benefit. Where there are old ingrained habits to overcome, or althernatives on offer (eg downloading or Internet use from a PC) people are either likely to remain conservative and/or will vote with their pockets. Calendar, alarm clock and camera use have taken off not only because these functions seem intuitively 'logically' to fit into your personal hub device (and I'd expect that the same will be true for mp3s) but because there is no financial barrier to using them and you don't need a PHD to work out how to. If mobile operators and handset manufacturers really want people to get into using the Net more and get into the wave of newer services, they will need to make them easier to use but possibly most importantly they're like to have to lower prices. I saw an ad for an operator in the UK this week promising mobile TV for 10p. Good luck to them. I have no doubt it's the way to go if they want to get people into a new habit. Talking of new mobile habits - this is from last year, sorry if people have seen it...

Share, don't own your brand

2007-04-05T17:26:00.000+01:00

Sorry to be grumpy just before the bunny arrives but here's another one of those blog entries dressing up the blindingly obvious as exciting insight which, depressingly, people feel compelled to comment on with breathless excitement. Wow, brands are 'completed' by people and don't exist as fully fledged entities 'created' by marketing departments. Never thought of that one before! But then the entry is on a site called 'own your brand' which I'd argue starts from the wrong premise entirely…you can't, you won't and you shouldn't try.

As far as I'm concerned, brands are and always have been created in conjunction with the consumer and if anyone owns them, they do. The concept of brand ownership is based on what I think is a fallacy of conceiving of brands as 'things' people buy rather than a set of ideas or myths they buy into, or - I'm working on this one - a relationship they build with a particular company's products. Maybe some marketing challenges would have fallen into place quite some time ago (and the 2.0 changes wouldn't have seemed quite so baffling) if we'd stopped objectifying brands and had seen them more relationally…

Anyway, will stop being grumpy on such a sunny day - so happy Easter everyone!

No Impact Man...

2007-04-03T17:48:00.000+01:00

A little bit off the subject of research today but given our previous posts on green issues, I thought I would share this wonderful blog with you... No Impact Man is a year long project being run by a New York based writer in which he is basically trying to reduce his ecological impact to as near as possible to zero. Not only is it thoroughly interesting but it also has links to lots of practical advice for anybody who wants to live the 'good life' themselves but isn't sure where to start. The best thing about it for me though is how well written it is. Given the recent news regarding Kathy Sierra's bad experiences with malicious bloggers and the calls for a blogging code of conduct, I think Colin gives a great example of how to write humanely and personally, particularly in his replies to sometimes quite vociferous critics. It's a lesson in how to speak to people who disagree with you and it's this that makes the writing so engaging and keeps me coming back for more

Research as craft..

2007-03-30T17:19:00.000+01:00

I’ve just finished reading a book called the Wall of Fools by the Japanese thinker Takeshi Yoro which has got me thinking about the nature of ‘craft’. The following passage in particular caught my attention…

Salaried workers are loyal to the source of their salary, rather than to their occupation, whereas craftsmen can’t earn a living unless they are loyal to their occupation because they’re responsible for the work they produce

Reading this, several questions pop up. Is this definition fair? Can research be considered a craft? And if it can be then how is it similar to more traditional crafts? I took the topic up with a carpenter friend of mine, who makes furniture for a living. He considers himself to be a craftsman. When he’s working he aims to produce the best piece of work he can. He takes pride in his craftsmanship. Even so, he has to admit that he is not free of constraints. His work is usually commissioned and aims to suit somebody else’s need or idea. Even when this is not the case, he is creating with some end in mind – something for people to comfortably sit on, something to store food in etc. Creation for the sake of creation and with no end in mind would be anarchy. The finished article in a piece of research is a model of the world that helps you to understand it more clearly. It is a painting, an insightful picture of its subject. Of course, as for my carpenter friend, our research is conducted for somebody else, to illuminate our client’s view. And once it has been given over to them, it is up to them how they put it to use. But in the process of working, it is painting an accurate picture of our subject that should be our prime concern and not other, often more political, worries (something the best clients understand and those that are difficult to work with often don’t!). For me, the fundamental thing that the above definition does is put the emphasis on the finished article. As researchers, this is something we are and should be doing. Having this end in mind is what distinguishes good research, real craftsmanship, from bad research. This needn’t be exclusive of remaining loyal to the source of your salary. After all, our client’s aims may give some direction to our finished article but they don’t give it its final form. That comes from our observation and examination of the world around us and the way that the many people we speak to express themselves within that context. It is the skill of absorbing, understanding, analysing and presenting this that is the real craft of research

Some links for Tuesday

2007-03-27T16:16:00.000+01:00

Happy Tuesday all... In the spirit of us using the blog to share information across the team here are a few links I've come across on my travels sur l'internet On the new free-to-call advertising-funded virtual mobile network for young people, Blyk. Their website here (obviously yet to be made suitable for it's target audience!) On word-of-mouth marketing << Link inexplicably replaced by an (early and yet to be formatted!) article on April Fool's Day - sorry! On the new media company-sponsored video content site which is aiming to provide copyrighted content with ads, filling the whole left by the recent lawsuits against YouTube and its removal of much of it's unlicensed videos. Hugh McLeod on "advertising 2.0" (or the lack of it) And finally a lesson in dirty tricks from Microsoft... this site was plastered all over chairs they gave out to overnight queuers at last week's PS3 launch at Virgin Megastore, London Anyone got anything else to share?

What next for online research

2007-03-23T14:51:00.000+01:00

Went to quite a buzzy Warc conference on the above topic last week… thought I'd share my, hopefully balanced, take-outs: 1. Everyone was talking about reframing attitudes to consumers, who, in the 2.0 climate of open-ness and democracy are to be seen as active brand stakeholders rather than passive vessels for marketing. Research is being encouraged to 'reframe' its attitude - to listen rather than ask questions, to reconceive respondents as 'research participants' - and researchers are well advised to get into co-creation… fair enough but actually, as I've said on this blog before, I'm not entirely sure whether this really is a million miles away from how good qual would regard consumers already… 2. That said, online communities and environments do offer interesting new opportunities for product and concept development. I believe 'open source' development is being adopted by people like BMW - but I particularly like the idea of using Second Life for products of an experiential nature - (See this article on hotels in Second Life) as a playful online environment may well generate some freer thinking than traditional offline npd research. These forums are obviously useless for fact-based research but could be a lot of fun and very productive for a bit of blue sky idea generation. 3. Some of the most interesting developments seem to be happening in quant, which seems to be becoming far more multi-facetted and sensitive online than it ever was off…importantly, the web allows both online interviewing but also measuring and diagnosing what is already there. Was quite impressed, for example, by the accuracy of prediction curves for the success (sales) of films based on online WOM. 4. Quant is gaining a quasi qual side - given lesser time and physical constraints online, there's far more opportunity for open-enders in online vs offline quant surveys, going even as far as 'story telling'. Clearly, quant researchers are much less well equipped to interpret these - so new hybrid techniques or hybrid researchers may be emerging 5. Information Management will emerge as key topic for both clients and researchers - whether it's blogs (research-commissioned or already existing), online communities or indeed qual-type answers within a quant survey - there is ever more data out there and there's a real danger of a. information overload and b. people jumping to uninformed conclusions. I'm wondering for example who analyses and contextualises the entries on a site like P&G's Capessa? Qual researchers would be obviously highly qualified to do so but do we really want to spend a lot of time at our desk sifting through pages and pages of online text, not all of which (to be kind) is likely to be hugely relevant to our clients? 6. Online qual is a supplementary method - or needs supplementing by offline interviewing. Existing blogs - and possibly increasingly social networking sites - are clearly useful to help us to get 'up the curve' at the beginning of a project and can help in trend spotting. Research commissioned blogs can make use of the confessional nature of the medium especially for sensitive topics and can make for a far more interesting-to look at and 'life-like' online diary. But I'm not convinced of the benefits of online groups beyond cost and ease of recruitment for EXTREMELY hard-to-get targets. Yes, offline groups are artificial and not ideal in many ways and people are likely to over-rationalise their ideas but at least as a researcher you can look into their eyes, see their body language and, let's face it, talking in the physical presence of others is far more likely to reveal emotions than the more left brain activity of writing down thoughts in the presence of a 'virtual' moderator...

WiFi and a pint of Guinness, please

2007-03-06T17:19:00.000+01:00

I was absolutely intrigued this weekend to see that our local pub has started to offer ‘Wireless’ to customers …and even more so to learn from the landlord, that there had been much more of an uptake than he’d anticipated. He even reported to have had one or two people coming in during the afternoons specifically to work away on their laptops My immediate thought was to see this as real clash of cultures. Surely all of the rituals and behaviours caught up in the British pub are the antithesis of what the wireless worker is signifying when they open up their PowerBook and start to type away During some on-trade ethnographic research for a drinks brand last year it was very clear that being in the pub is about personal freedom, but also about community and spending time with others. Whereas, the wireless hotspot user at present looks to be much more isolated and in need of being alone… But perhaps with the launch of WiFi mobiles and the smoking ban just around the corner, there won’t be such a clash after all. Accessing a wireless hotspot through your mobile phone puts up far fewer barriers to ‘the community’ than using your laptop ever could. And a smoke free environment, well that just makes it a nicer place to stop and pick up emails or do some work.

US Operators Back to Basics

2007-02-16T14:06:00.000+01:00

On our on-going pet subject of why Americans have not developed a deeper relationship with their mobile phones…look at these two ads which I spotted in a mobile operator store window in New York this week.

So here's one ad about mobile TV/streaming - and another one positioning the operator as the one with 'the fewest dropped calls'. First of all, I don't quite see how or why one would use a sector negative to build an ad around (surely the implied proposition'we're not great at what we do but our competitors are worse? isn't what we'd call hugely compelling...).

Secondly, how much faith would one have in a high tech service like mobile TV if the basics - ie voice communication - aren't sorted? And if the operator actually admits that in their ads? No wonder etc

Scary quote about blogging(?!)

2007-02-14T12:52:00.000+01:00

Couldn't resist posting this (rather lengthy) quote from Milan Kundera's The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. Just substitute 'book' for 'blog' and you'll see what I mean about the scary bit... A person who writes books is either all (a single universe for himself and everyone else) or nothing. And since all will never be given to anyone, every one of us who writes books is nothing. Ignored, jealous, deeply wounded, we wish the death of our fellow man, In that respect we are all alike: Banaka, Bibi, Goethe, and I. The proliferation of mass graphomania among politicians, cab drivers, women on the delivery table, mistresses, murderers, criminals, prostitutes, police chiefs, doctors, and patients proves to me that every individual without exception bears a potential writer within himself and that all mankind has every right to rush out into the streets with a cry of "We are all writers!" The reason is that everyone has trouble accepting the fact he will disappear unheard of and unnoticed in an indifferent universe, and everyone wants to make himself into a universe of words before it's too late. Once the writer in every individual comes to life (and that time is not far off), we are in for an age of universal deafness and lack of understanding. And that was written in 1978! Of course, with blogs people are also interacting. But as, for example, the 'left' vs. 'right' debates in the American political blogosphere go to show - this isn't necessarily fostering any sense of greater understanding.

Apple Envisions DRM-Free Future

2007-02-08T10:55:00.000+01:00

I wasn't planning to post about Apple twice in one week but Steve Jobs is causing a stir again - this time over an open letter on the Apple website declaring their support for a digital music business model free from DRM (digital rights management) restrictions. Whilst I'm sure that this is a tactic that has been calculated with Apple's best interests in mind, it could also potentially be a great thing for UK consumers and could deflect public concerns before they've even really begun (in the UK at least). On the Web DRM seems to have become a contentious issue for many but, having done groups on the subject in the UK, it is still an unknown concept for most consumers. The idea of any kind of restrictions being placed on the music they buy is alien to them based on their current understanding of music ownership, developed on physical formats such as CD (or increasingly (illegal) downloading and sharing for many). Even most who have used iTunes are still apparently unfamiliar with the idea that they can't use this music in the future on a non-iPod mp3 player. This is not to say that they are neutral to the idea. When probed it is obviously anathema to their understanding of 'buying' and 'owning' a piece of music. As digital music does become a more viable option of music purchase for more people, it is unlikely that the current model developed by the major record companies will do much to shift their behaviour from the current patterns of (illegal) downloading and sharing with the occasional physical purchase - especially for the more 'muso' types. When iTunes or other digital music stores are used, the reason most often cited is for the ease and guarantee of quality - supporting Jobs' hypothesis. In other words, many consumers using the service are well aware that they could source their music elsewhere for cheaper/free. They use digital music stores because they make life simpler for a small fee. Given the amount of DRM-free music already floating about out there for anybody willing to look for it, perhaps this is the hook that the major record companies should be banking on to capitalise on their assets, rather than hoping that they can somehow stop the changes that have already been forced on their industry. Because when it does eventually reach the mass public consciousness it seems likely that DRM will be very unpopular, potentially pushing more people away from the idea of purchasing digital music and encouraging more file-sharing and dissemination of DRM-free tracks.

iPhone and the Wired West

2007-02-06T12:56:00.000+01:00

Had to post up the video below a) because we're yet to mention the iPhone on this blog and b) because it illustrates so nicely (at the 8 minute and 44 second mark) Sofia's earlier post about "cellphones" as a "commodity" in the US, in contrast to the rest of the world... The iPhone is clearly causing a stir, in the US but also here. Jobs' claim to have reinvented the phone may be in some part marketing hyperbole but some of the issues he claims Apple's new product addresses, namely ease of use and reliability of software, could have been picked straight from some of the common complaints people do make when we talk to them about their current phones. Even more central to the stir the iPhone is causing is probably it's integration of other already popular computer-based systems - Google Maps, Email/Gmail, full web browsing, iTunes, Mac OSx etc. In the 'Wired West', this fusing of these familiar online/PC based apps with a mobile phone, should be exactly what is needed to develop people's otherwise rather impersonal relationships with their phones vs. the rest of the world. Apple are building on already established behaviours and bringing them to the mobile world. They have the heritage and the infrastructure to make this possible. Another interesting thought... how will Apple's one product based model work vs. those of the other mobile operators, especially outside the US where there are dozens of models vying for customer attention? Apple may have made one decision a lot easier for some consumers when the iPhone is released in the UK.... well for those who can afford it anyway! The free phone and contract market here may well make the iPhone more of a gadget fantasy than reality for most people when it is introduced here towards the end of the year. If it manages more than that then it really will be challenging the current market structure here

Vinyl vs. the World

2007-02-02T16:39:00.000+01:00

Not exactly new news but an interesting article by Sean O’Hagan in this Sunday’s Observer poses the question: Music consumption is becoming increasingly digitalised – is this also provoking a shift in people’s relationships to music? His conclusion seems to be that people need things and so we are not going to see the death of the CD, or even vinyl, quit yet (although cassettes, it’s probably now safe to say, are a dying breed). Based on our own research, I would have to agree. Over the last year and more we’ve been holding groups with people and talking about this subject and there’s no doubt that digitalisation is changing relationships with music. Talking to teenagers (digital natives if you speak jargon) sheds most light on these changes. Music remains as important to them as it ever has been; it forms an important part of their self-identity, of their membership to whichever group: R&B, rap, indie, D&B, 80s, rock, "speedy G". All of this music is more accessible than it ever has been. Importantly, it’s also all available for free, downloaded via LimeWire, shared via Bluetooth or MSN. Doing the sharing gets you musical kudos, for leading the way, for being the latest. It is this sheer availability of music that has probably changed people’s relationships most. For many teens music does seem to have become something of a disposable resource. Divorced from its physical form, it has become something to keep-up-to-date. It is still amassed, but perhaps not cherished as it could have been. But, there does remain a hardcore of more serious music fans for whom music does mean something more. They may still buy CDs or vinyl, they’re still interested in finding out the stories behind the music, they still like to have something to hold. Even when music is in digital form, it can still hold deeper meaning. Knowledge of the stories behind music, of the obscure, the esoteric, the underground is something that you can’t just download. This trend gets stronger as people get older. When music is freely accessible to all, you need to go the extra mile if you want to consider yourself a serious music collector. Underlying all this is something else: As ethical and environmental concerns start to loom larger in the minds of the consumer, so physical music may start to look like a waste of resources. Vinyl and CDs look to be safe on the shelves for the time being (see the above photo of Virgin Megastore Oxford Street's new 7" section) as long as music fans continue to want something more than a disembodied mp3. Perhaps it will eventually be environmental concerns that marks the end of the love affair with music in its physical form.

A green year

2007-02-01T16:18:00.000+01:00

Like many people I’ve already spent a lot of this (new) year thinking about being green and what I can do to make a difference. Maybe it’s because I’ve moved house and finally have both the space to grow vegetables and install a composter, but I’m finding myself thinking harder about where things come from and what the packaging is made of when I shop M&S recently surprised many media commentators with the extent their green strategy, whilst others were quick to dismiss both M&S and Tesco’s commitments as ‘brand dressing’. But I’m not so sure that’s all it is. Whether you applaud the promises they’ve made or feel they haven’t gone far enough, they’ve obviously been listening hard to their consumers As Sabine said in her post in December ‘How Times have Changed’, green marketing does seem to be moving mainstream. It’s certainly more noticeable in groups that consumers want help with being green. Even when the research has no connection with issues such as recycling, packaging or sustainability it seems there are always one or two consumers who weave these into the discussion. And whereas a couple of years ago you felt the consumer who raised the issue was coming from an outsider point of view (with others agreeing because it was ‘socially acceptable’) – this is now less the case More than a year ago Innocent’s marketing Director Richard Reed signalled their desire to be the first FMSG brand (fast moving sustainable goods). I hope 2007 is the year more brands follow suit.

Mobile Downloading and Japan

2007-01-26T16:13:00.000+01:00

It’s been a while since my last entry on our blog, my excuse – I spent the first two weeks of this year in Tokyo. So without further ado, some thought on mobile phone use over there and how they might tie in to some of the issues we’ve been looking at within the UK market… We’ve all by now heard that the use of 3G services is at a far more advanced stage in Japan than in the UK. And you don’t have to look too hard to see the signs of this when you’re actually there. Taking a typical train journey as an example, although it’s considered antisocial to actually talk on your phone when in transit, look around and you’ll see people doing all sorts of other things with their mobiles: Emailing, playing games, using 3G portal services. Talking to the locals gave me some interesting insight into the much less discussed flipside of this phenomenon – that PC use is less common in Japan than in the UK (even more so the US). So whereas the average Japanese consumer may turn to their mobile for travel or shopping information they would be less likely to turn to a PC for the same thing. This is established behaviour based on precedence. Mobile phones have become established as the source for information. Use of the WWW seems some way from the level it has reached here and may never be as popular as long. In many ways the opposite of the situation we are seeing in the UK. This fact is also reflected in the relative size of the online and mobile download markets in Japan. The mobile music download market has historically dwarfed that for PCs – by up to 50 times a few years ago. Japanese consumers have been used to using their mobiles as their access point to online services, including music downloads. The magnitude is now nearer to 10 times – and closing. It seems likely that this is in some part due to the rise of the iPod, almost as common a sight on Japanese trains as it is over here, giving consumers a new reason to download music onto their computers. There are some promising signs for the mobile network providers in the UK. Our most recent groups on mobile music suggest that consumers are coming to expect MP3 playback facilities on new mobiles. Alongside this (and despite continuing cynicism from some) they gradually seem to be coming round to the idea of using their mobiles as music players. Still though, in trying to kick start the mobile music download market here, providers need to work with the situation on the ground as it is, and that is one in which people are used to using PCs for downloading. Rather than trying to battle their online competitors head on, it may be that working alongside and complementing current behaviour holds deeper promise as a means of persuading UK consumers to start looking at their phones as a viable source for music downloads and online information. Encouraging a gradual shift to mobile downloading - through innovation or by utilising the strengths of the mobile medium - seems a far more likely prospect than expecting consumers to suddenly change what are established everyday habits.

CBB - the Indian View

2007-01-24T12:06:00.000+01:00

Where has the month gone? Is it now definitely too late to wish everyone happy new year?… Anyway, I'm writing from a somewhat topical business trip…hot on the heels of Gordon Brown, I'm finding myself in Mumbai and planted a question in last night's groups on - what else, Big Brother, Shilpa and Jade. The mood amongst our (very) middle class respondents was one of dignified but somehow also resigned distaste for Jade (who seems to be becoming a household name here for all the wrong reasons) but perhaps surprisingly only muted sympathy for Shilpa. "As an Indian I feel I have to support her" was one view but whilst this seemed to be a common background feeling, our group participants also thought that 'she should have been better prepared…she should have been more thick skinned and should have known that they are like that." "Britishers are known for being racist". Britains' colonial history in India as (or so I hear) taught in school has left an image of the nation as racist towards Indians which is reinforced by negative experiences reported back by compatriots living in the UK. Respondents were talking about friends in London having had their houses searched and being suspected of terrorism 'without reason'. Whilst our consumers were quite media savvy and also thought the CBB clashes were hyped by the media - both in the UK and in India - and set up by the programme makers to bump up ratings, the whole episode has definitely not won Britain any favours in the old colony. When I spoke to my colleague after the groups I found it interesting that she assumed that the British were very aware of being seen as racists by Indians. Well, not quite, is my view. Surely, well educated Brits are very much aware of the negative excesses of the colonial presence in India but wouldn't they also see their modern nation as standing for tolerance and inclusiveness? Wouldn't Brits be surprised to be brandished a racist nation today? (What do others think?) The whole distasteful CBB episode may have sparked an interesting domestic debate on what constitutes racism in the UK but as we know well from researching creative across countries, some of the subtlety does get lost when you go abroad…

How times have changed

2006-12-07T19:01:00.000+01:00

An article in The Guardian yesterday took me back a couple of summers ago... In August 2004 my colleague Kirsty and I conducted a project on public perceptions of climate change for Friends of the Earth. We were closer then to 9/11, the war in Iraq hadn' been going on for long, fear of terrorism was people's No. 1 concern. Climate Change was low, low, low down the list and 'what can we do about it anyway'. If pressed on exactly that point, the mood in the Sutton Coldfield living room got depressingly defensive in a 'what do you mean, I do recycle my newspapers' kind of way, paying higher taxes was obviously a no-no and I remember one respondent making the er, astonishing lateral suggestion that the government should focus on trying to collect tax from 'the gypsies and Romanies' to fill fiscal coffers. We did not even go near taking fewer flights. 2 years on and green marketing is a real talking point and is starting to emanate out from the chattering classes and Guardian/Observer pages into the 'real world'. And has hurt the profits of 4 x 4 manufacturers…Like Polly Toynbee I actually don't see this as a grassroots movement but as inspired from above - loathe him or loathe him, Tony Blair did put Climate Change on the agenda, Gordon Brown seems to be forcing people to reconsider their Chelsea tractor habits by hurting their purses and there's of course Green Dave… Still though - it seems to me that green and ethical marketing have a real place in all of this because they give people an opportunity to take action. Apart from being depressing, the groups we did two years ago had an atmosphere of powerlessness, people feeling the victims of forces nobody, including the government, really seemed to be able to know how to deal with. There is of course a real danger that ethical consumerism will be entirely superficial window-dressing and climate change has hardly become less of a problem but my feeling is that it will be much easier to affect (political) change if people feel that their actions can make some sort of difference. Buying green or 'ethical', even if it is for relatively selfish purposes, does allow for some sort of buy-in and hence (dreaded word) 'empowers' people, which should make it easier to raise awareness and inspire 'good behaviour'… I'm probably kidding myself but it's close to Christmas, it would be nice to think that marketing can occasionally, just a wee bit, be a force for good??

Blogs in Research Action

2006-11-11T16:06:00.000+01:00

I've become slightly wary of touching the subject of blogs in research - or of Web 2.0 in general. Any time you take a moderate 'hang on a minute' view in the current climate, you're in real danger of being branded a luddite. (This happened to Nick and I when we dared to question the hype aroung blogs in Research Magazine this summer. The magazine gave Nick's latest response to a rather hostile reader letter the nice title 'blog off'…) So, first of all, yes, yes, we are of course excited about the opportunities of the 2nd wave web for marketing and communication. And we believe that blogs can add to the research process, we think that they can make our research better, add to our work, in many cases give us a bit of a 'leg up' BUT - and it's a big but - we don't think they can replace good old talking! To some extent this is taking up the baton from Geoff's recent post in a different context - face-to-face interaction just can't be completely replaced… To prove our point...let's talk about how we recently used blogs as part of our method for a brief on sponsorship. This required us to look at snowboarding - what people got out of it and how they related to it, what they saw it as being all about - and how it was and could be used in sponsorship. We conducted a first phase of desk research employing 'blog scans' (with the help of a news reader and blog search engines). This threw up different types of blogs/blog entries - a mix of dedicated snowboarding and personal blogs reflecting different levels of involvement - from the real enthusiasts to people who had 'only' been on one recent snowboarding holiday. And we did learn quite a bit - for example that different audiences saw a sense of freedom and thrill at the heart of snowboarding, that people viewed it as slightly anarchic, free-spirited younger sibling of skiing, that people could get 'hooked' very quickly but cost might prevent them from going too often etc… We also could have drawn some conclusions on snowboarding and sponsorship based on desk and blog research alone - we could easily have drawn up a list of brands involved, picked up some opinions on their involvement. However, we still would have missed out on a lot that we learned from face-to-face interviewing - and possibly could have got a few things wrong. Looking at the snowboarding enthusiasts' blogs you could easily have got the impression of a distinct tribe - united by a particular language, the kit, possibly some brands - and you would have missed out on one of the main characteristics of boarding we picked up during groups and depths. When we interviewed boarding enthusiasts and journalists a recurring theme was the inclusivity and open-ness of boarding. We were struck by the resistance to regarding the sport as something rarified you needed special initiation to. Unlike other 'tribes' one could think of boarders seemed in essence very anti snobbery. Whilst this didn't mean that a brand involved in sponsoring snowboarding didn't need to show understanding and respect towards the sport, it also meant that there was little in-going resistance to outsiders getting involved - as long as they offered something to boarding in return. And of course 'trad' qual research also allowed us to canvas opinions about snowboarding and as such its potential as sponsorship vehicle for our client from mainstream consumers who were unlikely to have thought ACTIVELY about the sport before but when asked about it, clearly did have a view. Without face-to-face interviews we could not have been able to make a clear call as to how aspirational snowboarding is amongst 'normal' young people, arguably the most interesting question our clients needed answering … To cut a long story short - this 'real life' example really means to illustrate what we've been trying to say about blogs as research tools: they are great when trying to elicit - or even engage - people who have an a priori interest in a particular subject. But for our purposes they are somewhat limited - as they are, by their very nature, self-selecting both in terms of content but most importantly in terms of audiences. To re-iterate something I talked about a few weeks ago - brands need to talk to people who don't care all that much too and it is simply very difficult to get to them by electronic means… I'm glad we had blogs to look at before we conducted groups and I'm sure our findings were enriched by them. But, call me a luddite if you like, if I'd had to choose, I'd rather have done without the blogs than without the talking…

Chocolate to get you talking

2006-10-27T10:21:00.000+01:00

Recently, there's been a lot of focus in the marketing press on digital communications. In amongst that, it's easy to forget that there is still room to be innovative with more traditional (or can we say analogue?!) means. It's not easy to tell from this photo, but the poster above is actually a giant 3-d replica of an actual Cadbury's Dairy Milk bar. Or to be more precise a half-eaten Cadbury's Dairy Milk bar. But it wasn't always that way. Just a week ago, this bar had only just been opened. Somebody has evidently been a bit hungry... Whilst not quite interactive, this poster does something that most others don't. By being dynamic rather than static, it draws and deserves repeated attention. Combine this with a placement at a busy central London junction and you're onto something. By creating something that is really noticable, this Cadbury campaign has the potential to really get people talking about their brand. Who says you have to use microchips to be innovative?

Trust me, I'm an ad researcher

2006-10-20T12:15:00.000+01:00

Had a fun little encounter last Thursday with a friend of a friend. Met up late after I'd finished groups. Anyway, it turns out this guy directs ads for a living - and next thing I knew this aggressive short bloke stands too close to me asking me what I do (had a feeling he knew already), telling me that he thought advertising research was crap and that being 'a creative' he didn't 'agree with' asking a bunch of unqualified people about their views on unfinished ideas cos they just couldn't possibly imagine what they might turn out when fully realised blabla. As one may imagine, this was just what I needed after having spent 3 hours trying to hold constructive discussions with consumers on a piece of advertising…I was a bit too knackered to ask him whether his theory of mind allowed for other people's imagination at all or whether he thought only he had a birthright on ideas. No, to my shame I actually defended our work - he didn't deserve it and also didn't want to know. But at least he did made me think - about the ingratitude of (luckily only SOME!) ad people and of how the work of the qual ad researchers after all these years still seems to be misunderstood - not just by random bar encounters but also by some clients and even agency folk, less so planners obviously but creatives and some account people …It's frustratingly and tediously obvious to us but apparently still needs re-iterating…we don't take consumers' word as read and it is our task to try and assess potential against the objectives agencies/clients have set for their advertising. In our work we need to be able to make a call when people in groups are being bloody minded and literal and when on the other hand there seem to be fundamental problems with an idea. We work hard at trying to understand whether problems are 'just' executional (which by the way does not mean the same as unimportant, another little hobby horse of mine…), to do with the creative idea or with the whole strategy. This means of course that we do need to deploy our imagination - as well as encourage consumers to use theirs - to extrapolate what may/may not be possible. We try our best to facture in 'real life' factors, for example media context - though admittedly we can't forsee everything. In Geoff's immortal words our attitude throughout is that of 'paediatricians, not morticians' - trying our very best to give other people's babies a chance in life. (Honestly, good ad researchers don't enjoy picking ideas apart - we'd much, much rather try to help making the most of good stuff.) And finally, we're comparing responses to ads to a rather large database in our heads - of thousands of people's reactions to previous ideas, finished ads, ideas which were then turned into finished film... Come to think of it, we are rather qualified… There's a couple of problems though - . One - let's face it, we are often talking potentialities so there is a chance we may be wrong about some ideas which may turn out rather better - or indeed worse - than we predicted. Still though, I'd maintain that consumer response can help us to make quite a good assessment of underlying potential of an IDEA and we try not to be crass nor too definite when making executional recommendations. Secondly, we remain outsiders to the proccess so there can be resistance to taking in what we've got to say. We do our best work with agencies who trust us - and respect our intelligence, insight into people, our appreciation of advertising. At best they even concede that we may have some imagination…

Warning: Contagious!

2006-10-17T10:26:00.000+01:00

Here's a great source for keeping track of some popular and innovative online advertising. With up to 10,600,000 views these executions must be doing something to help raise brand awareness. It would be interesting though to have stats for click throughs or, even better conversions, to actual products/services along with the viewing stats. Interesting content doesn't necessary equal a punter willing to part with his money! Just be warned if viewing during work hours. Some of these games can seriously waste your time...

We're all going on a... free trip to Barbados?

2006-10-13T14:31:00.000+01:00

According to an article in yesterday's London Lite, Cliff Richard can no longer remember the lyrics to some of his old songs At the age of 66, Cliff, nicknamed the Peter Pan of Pop for staying at the top for 48 years, has told those working behind the scenes of his forthcoming tour of Great Britain and Ireland that he is finding it hard to remember all the words Some might say that's not such a bad thing... But when seen in the light of another report - that Sir Cliff has allegedly been lobbying (successfully it seems if true) for an extension of the duration of the protection granted by current intellectual property laws - then some interesting questions are raised. I've written about my views on IPR before - I won't drag up those concerns again here. Of course, Cliff wrote these songs and he deserves to be recompensed for that. Legally, they do still belong to him. But in another sense, can he really be said to own a song that he no longer remembers. Don't those members of the public who do remember the song not own it in a way that he can no longer claim to? What applies to songs, also applies to brands. Once an idea is out there, in the collective heads of the public, they too then own that brand. The copyright holders may hold the legal rights to a brand's use, but the public own it in their minds and it is in there that they will decide whether or not they want to be a part of it. And there's a chance that, like with the words to Cliff's songs, some may even know it better than many within the company itself...

Where would you buy your mobile phone from?

2006-10-12T10:06:00.000+01:00

On a recent trip to Chicago, I came across two rather diverse mobile phone retail outlets. The first one was the new Nokia concept store in Chicago (this is actually the second one to open in the world since the opening of the Moscow store last December). According to Nokia, these stores are designed to inspire and educate consumers about the latest mobile communication trends and products by making the visit experiential and interactive. The Chicago store is designed to look more like a lounge bar than a typical mobile phone store. In the store there are ‘stations’ with ready to use phones plugged in and the staff offer advice or information to the customers of the latest brand innovations and technologies. The other outlet I came across during the same visit in US, was not really a store as such but a vending machine; the InstantMoto - obviously Motorola branded. You swipe your credit card, choose the number that corresponds to your preferred model, and wait by the slot to get your new handset in a course of few seconds. No hassle, no time wasted. From a European, Asian or even African point of view Motorola's approach is heresy. A fashion accessory, status symbol 'my lifeline' from a machine that sells chewing gum and Mars bars? But of course we've talked on this blog before about the commoditised American mobile phone climate, in which the vending machine superficially make sense. On the basis that Motorola is the most successful mobile phone brands in the US, introducing the ‘easiest’ and ‘quickest’ way to access the device could be seen as a ‘clever innovation’, fully branded but also tailored to the type of relationship consumers have with the device in that market. But being European one can't help but wonder whether Motorola are doing themselves - and the whole US market - any favours with this latest initiative. Aren't mobile vending machine likely to lead to further commoditisation? Does Motorola really want people to think of their phones as disposable? How do vending machines phones reflect on expensive, higher tech models that surely they will also want to sell? Interesting one to watch!

Brands for the Bored

2006-10-05T17:56:00.000+01:00

Have just found a little entry on the brandtarot blog which touches on something I've been thinking about...ie marketing and the 'less involved'. Whilst there is of course absolute validity in the marketing move towards trying to ENGAGE consumers with your brand - and the Web offers all sort of opportunities here it's just worth remembering that this approach will simply not work for everyone. It really does concern me (partially admittedly for selfish/business reasons) that this neglects large amounts of people who simply don't care all that much! (And let's face it, there's quite a lot of low involvement sectors where most consumers' attitudes would be one of indifference!) And as John Grant and his correspondents point out, it is the less involved who may actually be the ones who really look to brands to 'guide them through the maze'. 'Expert' consumers who are happy to spend time helping brand 'owners' are much likely to be into product detail and - to some extent - miss the point of marketing/branding. At the same time it would be hard work to engage those in a natural dialogue who don't normally give your sector much of a thought without the help of your friendly qual researcher. (Phew, existence justified for another day!) Anyway, this has some implications on the role of blogs as research tools - more on this soon!

Marketing in an age of 'disengagement'?

2006-09-25T15:21:00.000+01:00

The world of marketing often seems to be functioning on an edifice of faux efficiency when it comes to information, communication and brand planning. Pressures on cost and time have arguably pared down processes and resources so that whilst important things still 'appear' to happen - they happen at 'half cock' and much of what's important may hardly touch the sides! Research is caught in the midst of this current phenomenon. Insights and sound thinking, so important as our bases for brand strategies, can feel lost in the mad panic. Do you recognise this syndrome? A deluge of emails where critical things get lost or swamped? A Conference call where no one's listening or too busy looking out the window or at SMS's on their mobiles…. or worrying about the next meeting. So electronic communications are partly to blame - miraculous and efficient at many levels but so ignorable at others. Is the problem really to do with the downscaling of face to face communication with focussed tangible written material and good solid hard 'team' thinking? So often we see things where clearly the various parties have just buzzed things around on email and not really given the problem, brief or whatever 15 mins serious collective thought. Result - a brief or an idea that's half cock. Elsewhere important bits of insight that could really feed your brand planning get aired but effectively lost in lip service telecons, over rushed meetings or in barely read email attachments. It also feels like 'MORE' (alleged communication and engagement opportunities) = 'LESS'! It's pointless spending money on insight if you're not going to make time to digest it and think about what it really means for your brand. I know time is tight but there's got to be a more effective way. It's not just me that feels this - I know the sentiments are shared by client marketers and planners too. "…we seem to rush into things and keep making mistakes so we have to go back and start all over again" What's the answer. Well tricky given the pressures we're all under. But I know for sure that if you can get the right people together in the right place at the right time - you will get a much righter answer. A focused hour vs. the false efficiencies of intangible minutes (or hours) with email, telecons or meetings where I'm too busy to attend. There's a great adage in the PADI Rescue Diver Course when something happens… STOP BREATHE THINK ACT. Lets make that our mantra - half an hour in a room with all the key people can make such a difference.

Vorsprung durch Werbung?*

2006-09-18T13:55:00.000+01:00

Can see the idea but executionally bit lame and far too rational. Anyway that's my verdict on the effort by the German tourist board trying to capitalise on the small wave of post World Cup goodwill towards us Huns. One of the tougher Briefs in tourism advertising must have seemed a tiny bit easier after the Teutonic charm offensive over the summer. However, I just don’t think these poster ads really hit home … Making consumers reassess your brand is notoriously difficult and frankly, following a trite persuasion model when your brand's biggest problem is lack of likeablity won't quite do… The (presumed - of course I haven't seen it) Brief for these ads seems to have had a respectable, if somewhat unoriginal starting point - tackle famiiliar Brit conceptions about Germany head on and contrast them with other, unexpected sides of the country. Thing is, neither the images used here to convey the old nor the new Germany really take a British perspective and quite understand the strange emotional ambivalence towards Germany in the UK. Prejudice against Germany sees the country as technocratic and efficient, not particularly attractive, its people as overly rational, humourless, ugly and lacking in style. I'd argue that by taking an overly rational approach these ads do more to confirm than to change some of these perceptions. Given that Brits love to laugh at Germans, the visuals of well known Germany simply lack the humour they would need to cause an emotional recognition effect. Instead they're dull and are unlikely to attract attention. At the same time the 'surprising' visuals are (except at a stretch the fashion/sports brands) simply not aspirational or, er, suprising enough. Art direction and execution has something to do with this obviously - one can imagine more glamorous manifestations of Adidas etc than are shown here. But there's also something wrong with some of the examples chosen - That the mp3 player was invented in Germany isn't well known but I don’t think Brits would find it out of kilter with their perceptions of a nation known for its technology (for which there is actually some admiration)... As far as the Cologne carnival is concerned, you need to have been there to appreciate it and even then it's a bit of a Marmite amongst festivals (either love it or hate it). 0 What would I have recommended if I'd researched this campaign? Focus less on education and persuasion and aim more at engaging imagination and emotion. Amongst other assets Germany has beautiful scenery, interesting cities with great (youth) culture and yes, some quite stylish brands - they could have been shown off with a bit of visual impact. Some of them may already be seeded in British minds - and in ads it's always easier to build on existing perceptions than try to educate from scratch. One could have contrasted them with some amusing known stereotypes. Instead, it's all rational and dry and, if not quite a waste, not as effective as it could have been. Ich bin ein bißchen enttäuscht.** * advertising **I'm a little disappointed

Segmenting by numbers

2006-09-15T10:29:00.000+01:00

I'm a big fan of John Grant - his blog is one of the few that I keep up with on a regular basis. I like his positive and humanistic approach to marketing. I hope to get round to reading his book soon enough. However, in answer to a question from one of his readers, he recently brought attention to a study he had conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Sound into the lifestyles of 16-24 year olds. His conclusion - that there are three sorts of young people Traditionals (25%): top indexing lifestyle statement is ‘my faith is very important to me’. Enjoy a good night in more than going out. watch gardening programmes. Big Radio 2 listeners. Moderns (50%). “the point of drinking is to get drunk”. Labels and brand avid. Like to drive a flash car, have the latest mobile, trainers, live & spend for today. National lottery is their favourite Tv programme & they listen to rap, r&b, dance and pop (and not scruffy indie stuff). Postmoderms (25%). Brand rejectors. No logo/eco values. Avoid packaged holidays and anything on the beaten track of culture. More into the internet than mobile. Quite posh - inverted snobs but still snobs. Watch arts programmes and their big music likes are indie and classical. Hang on a minute though. I'm 24 and I can't quite see where I fit in here. I like indie music but then I'm also into to rap and dance. I've read No Logo but I don't agree with everything Klein says. I'm certainly no brand rejector - I wear Nike trainers and buying a few nice things is... well nice. I like to think I take some interest in the environment but I'm sorry to say that I don't currently do much about it (I suspect like many people). Its not unknown for me to watch art programmes but I've also been hooked on Big Brother. I use the internet a lot at work but I couldn't live without my mobile. My point here isn't that John's categorisations of young people are well off the mark (if push came to shove, I would place myself into the postmodern box). What did strike me though was John's assertion that - Much understanding is lost when they are lumped together into ‘the youth of today’. Because inevitably something is lost in every categorisation - including this one. Of course, the media love these kind of categorisations. They fill column inches and they give a quick an easy explanation. But as a researcher I feel that segmentations need to pick up on more subtle nuances than this if they are really to mean something. Broad categorisations may paint a pretty picture, one that we can all understand. But how far do they get us in truly understanding our subject? I would argue – not very far. In fact, in this case I could see these same criteria being used to break down 30-50 year olds. Ok, priorities might change and people may have a little less time for popular culture but you could still lump them into ‘Traditonal’, ‘Modern’ or ‘Postmodern’ categories. Do they go to the Costa Del Sol (modern) for their holidays or do they prefer a quiet village in Tuscany (traditional)? Are they brand-rejectors (postmoderns) or do they drive flash cars (moderns)? We don’t stop acting out these kind of attitudes and lifestyles as soon as we hit 25. So on the one hand, John is saying not to look at the 'youth of today' as a homogeneous mass, but on the other hand he's giving crude segmentations that tell us very little more. I'm doubtful these breakdowns are much use for targeting or understanding youth culture. Do 25% of young people really listen to Radio 2? Is the National Lottery really the favourite programme of 50% of 16-14 year olds? I don't think so and I know that this isn't quite John's point. But if we are going to segment then we need to know what angle we are approaching the group from. In this case, the picture is painted with such a broad stroke that is almost as blurred as looking at the group as a whole.

World Mobile Culture

2006-09-14T15:39:00.000+01:00

Really interesting to read this article which ties in and expands on some of the issues raised by Sofia in her recent post on the American 'cellphone'. However, what struck me was the perspective being adopted here. A bit of the 'continent cut off by fog over channel' … Unlike the author and some other contributors I don't think there is a US vs Europe divide in mobile phones. Instead there is a global set of attitudes which the US (and Canada) don't share in! So mobile phones work as status symbols and express personalities (whether me as techno-savvy or me as fashionable) ALL OVER THE WORLD (don’t want to boast but to name some of the countries we've been to on this subject - … Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, India, Egypt, Tunesia, Iran (!), Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, plus most of the main Western and Eastern European countries…). North America with its commoditised attitude to 'cellphones' is the odd one out - for all the reasons mentioned in the article but also as Sofia points out because of a misguided focus on price vs benefits by US mobile operators. And another thing - I think the article is really on to something making a comparison with cars. It seems that in countries where fewer people can afford cars, mobiles step in as status symbols. So in China for example, people for whom cars are out of reach are spending huge proportions of their salaries on mobiles! I'd take issue with the article though for implying that Europeans don't LOVE their cars (come on, I'm from the land of the Autobahn) - but where the US may be unique is in a combination of real emotional attachment and much more practical reliance on the automobile, which are of course interlinked. So…maybe there's just enough space for one mobile in the US ('scuse the pun!)

Free Beer (as in free speech)

2006-09-08T15:56:00.000+01:00

I've just finished reading Lawrence Lessig's book The Future of Ideas and so this article, published in Wired this week caught my eye. Building on the open-source software movement, the former chief of development at Carlsberg beer has come up with a new idea for free beer. To clarify, that's not free as in 'Woo-hoo, we're all going to get drunk for nothing' but free as in 'free speech'. I'll let Lawrence explain: What makes Free Beer free is the same thing that makes free software free: Its recipe is open and licensed freely. Anyone can make improvements. But anyone who distributes an improved version must release the changes as well. You can get updates on its latest development and place orders here. In his book, Lawrence talks about open-source software in the wider context of the architecture of the internet and the potential for innovation that the medium has allowed, a potential that is increasingly under threat from changes to this architecture. What the book does so well is highlight the importance of the technical workings of the internet to the wider context of societal development - and manage to make it all readable at the same time. In his examination of the gradual extension of intellectual property laws coupled with the increased control allowed (and increasingly allowed) by technology, he makes the convincing argument that limiting the resources in the public domain will lead to a world with stunted innovation. Anyway, highly recommended for anybody working in media. I now feel like I'm viewing the whole 'old' vs. 'new' media blogosphere debate in a new light. This about much more that just bloggers vs. newspapers. It's about either creating opportunities for new technologies to develop and be used to their full potential for the benefit of society vs. the protection of the status quo for the benefit of those who are currently in power. It's about sharing ideas vs. controlling ideas. Of course, Free Beer isn't free as in 'free beer' - the company can still turn a profit. But it allows its customers to add their own innovation into the mix. It involves its customers in the brand and uses their combined knowledge to improve it. This is something that brands in general are going to need to get better at as the internet gives new power to people to express their views.

Mmmmmm deli.cio.us

2006-09-01T14:31:00.000+01:00

Yet more evidence that young people (in this case students at the University of Illinois, Chicago) are still turning to established sources for their news even when they're using the web as their medium of choice (slide 22). (Sorry, if you've already cottoned onto this fact, I'll stop posting on this subject from now, promise!) The Chicago papers come out as the most popular, only 1% claim to have ever visited Daily Kos or Instapundit and only 1.5% Boing Boing, three of the most visited blogs out there. But blogs are being used for more specific interest, albeit still only regularly by a minority (slide 17). Why are people visiting them? Seems to be more for the purpose or either communication or entertainment than anything else. 'Politics, economics, policy and law' blogs are by far the least popular. Maybe young people ajust aren't interested in these matters.Perhaps more likely is that they expect to read about these things from what they would consider an authoritative source, not an online journal. MySpace and Facebook along with eBay are the social sites that come out as the most popular, perhaps unsurprisingly (slide 20). Seems that the internet is being used by young people for what they've always done best - shopping & socialising (I suspect with people they already know offline or at least connected to people they know offline). Connected to that is music with 78.2% using the web for 'Downloading or listening to music'. Seems like the recent news of forthcoming free & legal music download service Spiralfrog could pay dividends then, because with 57% confessing to use Limewire, seems there's still a lot of P2P going on despite the RIAA's effort to crack down. What seems a crime to me is that only 1.6% are using Digg and only 0.7% deli.cio.us. Since I've discovered this service, I can't imagine surfing the web without it (for instance I would have had to search for ages to refind that link to news of Spiralfrog if I hadn't previously tagged it with deli.cio.us). Seeing as 90.7% of respondents are using the web for 'Getting information for school work' I can imagine this being a really useful tool, even if just for keeping track of one's own surfing. I suspect the problem here is awareness and inertia more than anything. So if you're not using it already and you use the web for research of any kind - then follow the link and downlaod it!

A Brand New Obsession

2006-08-30T16:58:00.000+01:00

Looks like Neil Boorman has reached brand saturation point over at the Beeb… As an experiment, his idea is interesting - if incredibly wasteful! Would it be possible to live a non-brand life in today’s Britain? The statement he is making also raises a few questions for anybody who works closely with brands. Is Neil’s disillusionment justified? And can we imagine a world without brands? Of course, there are now precious few corners of modern life left that aren’t now branded. We buy our food from supermarkets, in which even own-brands are, well, brands. Anybody not interested in designer clothes, is still likely to buy from a shop that is in itself a brand. If we want to drive, use a mobile phone or have a drink at the pub – brands again. Even Naomi Klein's anti-branding bible, No Logo, has turned into a brand. Just writing and posting this text, I’m interacting with many brands – Apple, Google and Mozilla being the most obvious. Lets remind ourselves how brands originally came into being. At its most basic, a brand is a mark given to something to distinguish its provenance – literally the cow branded in the field as a sign of ownership. This concept naturally extends to becoming a mark of quality. Even in a place without commercial branding, communist Russia say, we can imagine the flour from a certain region being better quality than that from another. So the mark of provenance on the superior flour becomes its brand and it becomes sought after. To this day brands continue to serve the useful function of helping us to make sense of the world by differentiating between similar but different things. In his disillusionment, Neil seems to be concentrating on the most modern (and vacuous) concept of brands. They may not make you “more attractive, more successful, more happy for buying their stuff” but they can help you to make sense of the world around you. The fact that Neil’s experiment to live without brands is newsworthy is in itself a sign of their significance. McDonalds, Monsanto, Google, Nike – all of these names conjure up feelings for us, they represent something, whatever our interpretations or feelings towards them, whether we buy into them or not. In the end, even Neil does start life afresh, free from any branded possessions, he will still be living in a branded world, in which we derive so much meaning and understanding from the brands that we share as part of our culture. In that sense, there’s no escape for Neil, despite the grand gesture.

More on Digital and Not so Digital Natives

2006-08-24T14:55:00.000+01:00

More on one of our favourites … Young People, the Net and the Real World - today's Guardian is reporting on a new Shanghai initiative of providing shelters for young Internet Addicts. Whilst first giving voice to people blaming all sorts of psychological ills on the Net, the article says it all in the end - surely the main issue here is a 'less than satisfactory' offline world which makes young people seek refuge in the virtual -rather than an inherent problem with the Internet… By the way … when I was in Shanghai last month I noticed these two girls on the Bund who had at least temporarily abandoned the Internet and found a big new loving friend in 3-D…

Mobile advertising: Intimacy and intrusion

2006-08-22T13:02:00.000+01:00

It seems that mobile operators, after years of talk, are finally taking the idea of mobile advertising seriously. In the latest issue of Campaign magazine, Deborah Bonello talks to some of the advertisers (subscription required) who are hoping to take advantage of this trend and the potential for intimacy, targeting and tracking that the medium is able to offer. But just how intimate are consumers willing to get at this stage of the game? We’ve talked before about the close relationship that people have with their phones. It is this personal connection that offers the potential for powerful advertising reach. As Dusan Hamlin, the managing director at mobile marketing agency Inside explains "Mobile offers the ability to target an ad to the consumer by personal information such as age, sex, interest and location at any given time, plus the ability to bill for products and services." Watch out though for the “piss-off factor”. People tend to open and read all of their messages on their mobiles and they do not take too kindly to spam. Direct mobile advertising through SMS has been going on for some time now with less than ideal results. Our own research suggests that this kind of intrusive advertising is more likely to generate ill will towards its source than anything else. So will more accurate targeting brighten the public’s perceptions of mobile advertising? It certainly has some potential but something important is missing from this debate. In our own experience of the issue, consumers are worried about more than just the “piss-off factor.” As advertising becomes more closely targeted so it draws more upon personal information. There is a real risk of alienating consumers if they start to feel that advertisers are starting to snoop on their personal lives. When we talk to consumers there is a spectrum of acceptability on this issue. Targeting according to a customer submitted personal profile seems to be fine. Control remains in their hands. Targeting according to customer location receives a more wary reception. Is their location really something that the public wanted in the hands of marketers? When it comes to targeted advertising based on the content of text messages, people really begin to feel uncomfortable. Although there is some variation to how seriously people took the issue, there seems to be a general concensus that some information should be kept private and out of bounds for advertisers. Doubtful of any real benefit to themselves, many consumers are more concerned about their perceived loss of privacy. Of course, all the information needed to make use of these services is already available to mobile operators. But the thought of it being used for advertising really brings that fact home for the consumer. Any company wishing to play a part in mobile advertising should be mindful of this fact. If they don’t treat the issue of privacy with due sensitivity to consumer concerns then they risk losing their customers to a company that does.

Heroes No More

2006-08-18T11:05:00.000+01:00

Sometimes things you see or read just seem to come together. First I read this comment, made by Bob Dylan back in 1991: " People today are still living off the table scraps of the '60s. They are still being passed around - the music, the ideas. Look at what's going on today: there used to be a time when the idea of heroes was important. People grew up sharing those myths and legends and ideals. Now they grow up sharing McDonalds and Disneyland." The next day, I saw this grafitti near to our office at Goodge Street - the anonymous message seeming to me to be a positive affirmation of Dylan's lament. Dylan was never comfortable with his fame. Neither can he have expected it – the kind of worldwide stardom that he achieved only really began in the 60s. The proliferation of visual images, the popularisation of music, an increasingly specialised and widely distributed media and the solidification of youth culture all saw to this. In his own words: "It wasn't me who called myself a legend. It was thrown at me by editors in the media who wanted to play around with me or have something new to tell their readers. … What's important isn't the legend, but the art, the work." In an international youth study last year, we asked young people directly about their heroes. Considering this was international study, it was surprising how often David Beckham came up. The common reason why he was considered a hero? He rose to fame on the back of his sporting ability so you may expect this to have something to do with it. But it was actually the fame itself that was admired. That along with the money and good looks (apparently). Of course, we all know about the cult of the celebrity. Shows like Big Brother and the X-Factor go to show how fame, in many cases, has become disattached from anything more than just being in the public eye. But perhaps the fact that Bob is famous for and admired for more than just his lifestyle should give us some cause for hope. Bob may have been mythologised by the marketing machine and he may resent this fact. But new generations do continue to return to his work for inspiration. Although the legend that has become Bob Dylan may have become greater than the man himself, the meaning that it has taken on, and now represents, still offers some balance to superficial celebrity that has become the longing of much of today's youth.

The US 'Cellphone' - Commodity rather than Lifeline

2006-08-17T16:25:00.000+01:00

Reading Nick's post on the Carphone Warehouse UK mobile usage survey got me thinking about the very different and strangely barren mobile landscape in the USA… Despite Americans' techno-friendliness and ease with technology the US (and to an extent Canada) were latecomers to 'cellphones' and today seem to be the only developed countries in the world which haven't developed a deep, multi-dimensional relationship with them. Yes, to some extent 'cells' are techno-hubs there too, but in a much diminished way. At Thinktank we have researched the mobile phone market around the globe quite extensively; the US always stands out. North Americans, even if young and techy and into gadgets, struggle to come up with more than two mobile phone brands. When asked what phone they have they’ll probably mention their carrier/network rather than the mobile phone manufacturer. For many US consumers the mobile phone is what the provider makes it. And it is true that that's rather less than in Europe or Asia. In group discussions with young Americans I've often heard that you can never really ‘own’ a mobile phone in the States. Strictly speaking, this isn't true any more - mobiles did indeed become 'portable' in 2003. However, since this happened rather late in the day it has not been anchored in consumers' heads. As a consequence they feel that mobile phones only work as communication devices for as long as the contract with the operator lasts. After that point they consider the phone useless, the device dead…you can’t use it ever again, you can’t do anything with it. There is no sim card slot in CDMA phones, the technical standard which dominateed the US market for a long time and still persists alongside GSM today. Again this has led to perceptions that the ‘sim card’ (the heart) belongs to the operator and that everything you save into the phone disappears as soon as you change provider. Manufacturer brands have much more limited visibility - although Motorola has been making more of an impact lately - than they do elsewhere. The carriers are holding the keys to the communication but also the relationship with the sector. And much of US carrier marketing seems stuck in price promotions and communication about tariffs vs aiming to forge brand relationships. As a consequence the functional/rational rules and US mobile phones have lost much of the power as fashion accessories, status symbols, displays of tech-savviness that they hold in other markets. In fact, mobiles - compared to other gadgets like iPods and Blackberries - can be considered a bit passé. 'Aren't cellphone a bit 90s?' as one group respondent was asking recently. At the same time mobiles, whilst still considered very useful, are far less pivotal in people's lives. The mobile phone there is more disposable than essential, is more replaceable commodity than a uniquely important piece of kit, merely a tool with a short expiry date but not 'your lifeline'. And as such I would guess a lesser commercial opportunity - even for US operators themselves.

Survey on Food Ethics

2006-08-15T17:04:00.000+01:00

Though we don't do quant around here, have a look how the figures coming out of a new BMRB survey on UK consumer attitudes to 'ethical' shopping have been reported. Interesting that the Observer only focuses on those who DON'T care about consumer ethics - 'most Britons do not care where the food and vegetables they buy come from' - when there's surely a the flipside to the 61% who don't, ie a not unconsiderable 39% who do. And isn't a figure of almost half of the UK population who think that Britain should import less food to limit environmental damage even if this leads to less variety and higher prices astonishingly high and more interesting to focus on than the 52% who reject this idea? Especially considering that worrying about food ethics is a bit of a luxury and that we can assume that at least some in the 'don't care' camp may have other concerns like making ends meet! In the business section of the paper is an article on supermarkets starting to roll out box schemes, so far the preserve of independents, surely another sign that food ethics have made enough of a breakthrough to make business sense. As far as reporting on the survey is concerned, it just goes to show again how quant figures need interpreting and can be used for any agenda rather than being the 'objective truth' for which they seem to be sometimes mistaken...

Real world still influences young people!!!

2006-08-15T11:34:00.000+01:00

An LA Times/Bloomberg poll of 1650 12-24 year olds from across the US (weighted to national census figures in terms of age, ethnicity, gender, region, urban/rural residency & Internet access) lends some support to our own research (see the "THOUGHTS" section of our website for a complete version) into the, as yet still rather limited, influence of blogs. Amongst other interesting stats in the report: "Only 10% of teens and 11% of young adults said blogs or other websites were their best source. Teens and young adults said they most frequently kept up by talking with friends and family and watching local TV news." A follow-up article appeared in the August issue of Research magazine a month after our own, with a headline claiming that "last month's feature on blogs took a rather pessimistic view of the technology". Were we being pessimistic? We don't think so. For a start, the article was reporting what we found when we talked to actual consumers about their feelings towards blogs. If we sounded underwhelmed by their current influence, then this is a reflection of the public's views as we found them. Secondly, do we see any value in blogs? Of course we do, otherwise we wouldn't have started our own! In fact, much of the rest of the article was focussed on how new voices are joining the blogosphere, voices that may make it more appealing to consumers, including those of businesses. And on how the blogosphere was a route that offered many benefits for businesses themselves, especially making connections with people who mattered to them. We are just calling for a sense of perspective. New forms of social media are emerging that are changing some of the ways in which people communicate. What's more, they are observable and measurable by businesses wishing to reach an audience. There will be important consequences for media organisations, marketing agencies and advertisers. But life carries on in the real world and, as Sabine explained in more depth earlier, that is still where most views and opinions are formed - from the details and interactions of everyday life. Let's not forget that amidst all of the hype.

Goldrush 2.0 and the Real World

2006-08-11T13:28:00.000+01:00

Here's a bit of a rant... Is it just me or does the current buzz around web 2.0 remind anyone else of the 90s New Economy goldrush… remember when the normal rules of business/life wouldn't apply any more - eg projected customer numbers supposedly over-riding balance sheets?? The hype around blogs, search marketing blah shares the same sense of breathless excitement and throw-out-the-rule-book-ism that lost people money last time… Still,I don't want to sound like the oldest swinger on the blog (ha!): of course some of these phenomena like online communities lead and have led to important changes. As Nick was pointing out the other day, on-line WOM is likely to have an impact on brands through its permanence and wide reach. There clearly is also something going on about democratisation - both in terms of opinions (eg about brands) but also in terms of content -and marketers and 'brand owners' will need to take note. However, what takes me back to the late 90s is how the rise of the new always seems to bring about nonsense and charletanerie (is that a word?), at times meekly nodded to by old client and planner hands who really should know better. Take 3 current hot topics/buzzwords - democratisation, social networks, 'digital natives'. All interesting no doubt but all written about in terms of truisms or insights which, upon closer inspection, are just plain wrong. Democratisation. Consumers, so we are told, have changed. Not the passive receptors of brand messages of old 'any more' but 'now' participating in creating brands. Sorry but anyone with a brain before 2.0 realised some time ago that brands don't belong to the people who market products but are created in conjunction with the consumers who accept or reject them. The Net allows new forms of participation (and the jury's still out on how important they are/will be) but it does not change the principle, which just ain't new! Social Networks. Look at this amazing chart which was recommended by one of the planning bloggers. Maybe I'm a bit dense but is it saying that people are organised in communities which are linked to other communities by a common, if possibly tangential interest? I'm no sociologist but shouldn't there be tools through social network theory which explain things in just a bit more detail?? Digital Natives vs Digital Immigrants. When these two groups are being compared you could be forgiven for getting the impression that young people live their lives only in a two-dimensional digital capacity and actually don't have a three dimensional off-line existence too… Take this week's Campaign where Paul Frampton from Media Contacts reasons that search marketing has influenced consumers in such a way that 'Most consumers would not consider a purchase without researching it online'. OK, let's assume he meant 'most consumers in the UK', or, to be kind, "most consumer in the UK under the age of 25'. No, still doesn't work. Who googles food, drink, toiletries, or most fmcg products? And even for those products that you DO research online - how important and powerful are online vs offline influencers? (Nick touches on this in his piece on WOM) And possibly, most importantly, how does a more left brain activitiy like 'searching' stand up to all the right brain offline impressions you take in about a brand in a 3-dimensional world? So in summary, a caveat to Mr Client/Emptor…there are interesting new developments but they are interacting with, not over-riding human nature and reality as we know them - even though there are vested interests in making you believe otherwise!

Observable WOM

2006-08-08T16:56:00.000+01:00

John Tylee reports in last week's Campaign (subscription required) on a speech given by Peter Friedman, CEO of LiveWorld, an online customer community and social networking agency. Friedman suggests looking to the past and considering how brands found fame before advertising really took off: Through word of mouth. The Internet, specifically online communities, is now allowing that to happen again. Advertisers beware he warns – the rules of the game are changing. Of course word of mouth has always been the most effective form of marketing and satisfied customers have always been the best advertisement. What the Internet is now doing is boosting the reach and longevity of consumer opinions. To paraphrase Robert Scoble and Shel Israel, authors of business-blogging book Naked Conversations, what we are now witnessing is “word of mouth on steroids”. But is a recommendation from an unknown blogger online really as effective as one coming from an offline acquaintance? Is word of mouth online really the same as word of mouth offline? All our work with consumers around the world indicates that they would still rather follow a recommendation from an offline acquaintance than the opinion of somebody they've read on a website. Of course, on the other hand, opinions recorded on blogs or sites like Amazon have a global reach. Unlike offline conversations, which continue their existence only in the minds of those directly involved, online conversations can theoretically exist forever. All anybody needs to find them is a search engine and a few relevant terms. It is this that makes online word of mouth so powerful. It is far-reaching and it has permanence. It is this feature of online conversations that is getting brands to notice - they are observable and measurable. As more consumers switch to search engines and the internet as a source of information, they are likely to hear what has been said, good or bad. But I suspect the jury's still out as to the exact future role of online WOM - how far is the democratisation of the business/net world really going to go? What will be the role of online pundits vs communities and how are either of them going to interact with offline word-of-mouth? Can anyone really know at this stage?

Sleep & Culture

2006-08-07T10:58:00.000+01:00

Could you imagine introducing yourself by saying ‘ Hi, I am so and so and sleeping is one of my favourite pasttimes’? Or what would you think of your local shop owner if you caught him taking a nap the next time you walked in to buy your morning paper? Or a colleague who fell asleep at his desk at lunchtime? Of course, we all need sleep to survive. But based on my own unofficial mini-survey amongst my friends we in our Western cultures seem to take a dim view of people who like to sleep a lot - 'lazy','dull, 'boring' were the key associations my friends came up with. Well, this is not how Asians, in particular the Chinese, would view sleep at all. In fact, people in Chinese groups, however cool, trendy or serious-minded and ambitious don't hesitate to list sleep as a hobby. And looking around in China it's clear that Chinese workers wouldn't be mortified if they were caught having a nap in public during the working day. In the preface to the book “Night-time and Sleep in Asia and the West’ by Nicholas Lacarra Mazza, Brigitte Steger suggests ‘practices concerning sleeping (…) can widely differ between cultures and societies' So different cultures attach different values to sleep which then impact on people’s attitude towards it and determine people’s public behaviour with respect to it. In fact, as the same study discovers, the Chinese, tend to be more tolerant to sleeping in public or to day-time sleepers than people in contemporary Western cultures. Possibly this is partially due to longer and less structured working hours and more time spent outside the home where people will simply get caught out by tiredness at some point. However, whatever the reasons, the lesson for us as international researchers is surely the importance of cultural context even when we're examining behaviour which is, on another level, universal. I do not mean to say that our most basic human drives and emotions do not unite people around the world on certain levels. Clearly, international marketing has to and can work with these. However, if even such a biologically driven, seemingly banal phenomenon as sleep is filled with cultural meaning, international researchers really need constantly to interrogate where commonalites end and where cultural differences may start to make a real impact on consumer behaviour or response. A fuller version of this article appears on our website.