Power of the Blog!

I’ve received numerous comments in response to my recent experience with Washington Mutual and I’d like to respond with additional thoughts & feedback for those who are having a similar experience.

It’s extremely frustrating to go head to head with a massive corporation with substantial resources. One person, one voice trying to gain traction and cut through the corporate “red tape”- it’s impossible, right? WRONG.

With the growing popularity of social media & the focus shifting from appealing to the masses to focusing on the “individual” – you and I now have a voice that can’t be stifled. It’s no longer about strength in numbers. It’s about empowering the individual & making authentic connections with others who have similar interests, values & beliefs. Social media has changed the rules of “engagement” and it’s forced a lot of bullies off their soapbox. Online reputation is critical. It can quickly leverage a brand’s image. Or it has the power to send it down in flames – all with a few blog posts, forum discussions & emails.

Use the power of social media (blogs, forums, online communities, bookmarking etc.) to your advantage & see what happens…

October 22- 26, 2007: Evolution of a Sustainable Society featuring EcoCharge

Join the Evolution of a Sustainable Society @ The Art Institute of Portland: Oct. 22 – 26, 2007. In an effort to bring further attention to the importance of conservation and preservation of our local and global resources, The Art Institute of Portland will be hosting Environmental Awareness Week. This week long event will feature forward thinking community speakers, hosting a sustainable living fair with several exhibitors, and screening significant and impassioned films devoted to environmental awareness.

To attend this event , visit
The Art Institute of Portland @
1122 NW Davis St. Portland, OR 97209

Schedule of events

The Evolution of a Sustainable Society will be featuring EcoCharge – a free standing module that uses renewable energy to charge portable electronic devices. EcoCharge is the classic example of finding a new way to solve an existing problem. In an earlier post, I explored the idea of using renewable energy to charge cell phones.

“Imagine you’re traveling and your charger is packed away in your suitcase, you have less than a bar left on your phone, a two hour layover at the airport and at least 5 phone calls to make between now and the time your plane takes off. It’s a challenge just to find an electrical outlet to plug your laptop into, much less a space to charge your cellphone (one that includes the charger itself!).”

The EcoCharge concept has grown to in include charging services for cell phones, PDA’s and laptops – all while using renewable energy sources. Below are some samples of the brand collateral that have been developed to date.

 

ecocharge machine mock up with detailed view

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ecocharge website mock up

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ecocharge print advertisements

Eco-Friendly Cell Phone Charger?

Is it really possible to have an eco-friendly cell phone charger? A group of students at AiPD think so.

I have been tasked, along with 3 other students, to develop a concept for a sustainable product or service and then brand it from the ground up.

What comes to mind when you think of a product that’s been accepted as a universal commodity, yet lacks the use of renewable energy? Cell phones.

These days, I don’t know of many people who don’t own a cell phone. It’s an integrated part of our daily life and we take it everywhere go. In fact, we often feel lost or “naked” if we forget it at home.

Worse yet, imagine you’re traveling and your charger is packed away in your suitcase, you have less than a bar left on your phone, a two hour layover at the airport and at least 5 phone calls to make between now and the time your plane takes off. It’s a challenge just to find an electrical outlet to plug your laptop into, much less a space to charge your cellphone (one that includes the charger itself!).

There is an answer – the ChargeBox. It’s a machine that allows you to recharge devices such as cellphones, iPods and PDA’s inside a secured locker. Each ChargeBox has six lockers and each locker has the capability to charge different types of hand held devices. Most can be fully charged in around 35 minutes, however iPods for example can take almost 2 hours to fully charge. Since its inception back in 1995, the ChargeBox has grown to expand it’s locations to include Iceland, France, South Africa & Turkey and the UK.

What if the ChargeBox used renewable energy to recharge these mobile devices? Efficient and eco-friendly!

We’re in the early stages of market and product research. Here’s a short list of KPI’s we’ve identified:

• potential sources of renewable energy
• best US target market – top 10 US airports
• additional “add on’s” besides charging (ie: download MP3’s, ringtones, games, etc.)
• potential partners

Further research:

Is the use of renewable energy an important factor when choosing to use or not use an electrical device?

How much would you be willing to pay to charge your hand held device?

• $0.02/minute
• $0.05/minute
• $0.10/minute

Would you be interested in “adding on” additional services? If so, which ones?

• MP3’s
• ring tones
• pictures/screen savers
• games

I’d love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback. I’ll be posting details of our project as it unfolds over the next three weeks.

Ads we love to hate

Feeling the need for some random, obscure visual entertainment?

I don’t even know where to begin with this ad. Is that support to be ‘Pepsi’ spewing out from the cap? Looks more like tall, dried weeds. Shame shame.

This poor guy who went from cool dude with a kickass car named KIT to this? (I admit it, I was a die hard Knight Rider fan back in the day. Loved the theme music. According to his website, Knight Rider will be returning in September).

So what happened to the Hoff? Appears he has quite the following, ranging from faithful fans to being the butt of everyone’s joke. Came across this hilarious site dedicated to ‘wax on, wax HOFF’. Maybe these guys should check out the wax on, wax HOFF method.

 

 

This is just down right scary. I’m all for shock value, but this takes it to a new level. According to their campaign brief:

Target group:
Young people – usual batteries consumers

Campaign objectives:
Brand building – target penetration

Reason for rejection:
The proposal was rejected by the client, Energizer Holdings.

Who’s conducting the research here? Brand building – target penetration? More like brand killing with electrocution.

Wait for the ‘bling’? Ok, guetto super star. First of all, I don’t see any ‘bling”. Who’s the target audience here? I highly doubt the individual who’s going to ‘abstain’ is going to refer to an engagement ring as bling. We’re not talking to ‘Jenny from the block’.

I did a Google image search for the term ‘bling’& this is what came up in the first page results…

I don’t think this dude is gonna abstain from anything before he gets his bling.

I Love NY

 

 

One of the most recognized rebus advertisements finally enters the world of Web 2.0. An article put out by The New York Times today stated that the “I Love New York” website finally got a face lift earlier this year (courtesy of Saatchi & Saatchi). In the ad world, it’s critical to not only keep up with the Jones’, but to stay two steps ahead. Advertisers know that they’re only as good as their last ad. Many advertisers have been reluctant to extend their media mix into the online sphere. Why? They’re comfortable with the traditional status quo of print, outdoor, radio & TV. The power of the Internet has been underestimated – until recently. Ad agencies & their counterparts are flocking to the Internet to claim their stake in this virtual goldmine.