Posts Tagged ‘Advertising’

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I raised five teenagers… I know when I am being worked!

How do we reach the time-tested mom?
Mothers have a sixth sense when they are presented with a story that just doesn’t seem to add up. After years of such pitches, these women have a very polished intuition.

This is why advertisers struggle reaching these ladies on social networks. And why Baby Boomer women will give virtual gifts a very short life span.

These women have spent years providing real experiences for their families. A virtual hug is a nice diversion, but it holds no value for the serious mother who nurtures with reality.

Advertisers are learning that these experienced mothers don’t want their social walls cluttered with mindless junk. They see Facebook as a real tie to children who have left the nest and a link with old friends.

It remains our contention that REAL things are the only sustainable purpose for social networks, especially for women over 50. Marketers need to be reminded that this demographic is increasing by the millions almost daily and that women don’t need to be pitched junk when they know how good the real thing is…

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

White elephant eCommerce on Facebook

There is a growing feeling that Facebook and other social properties will begin to join forces with online retailers to sell real products on their networks.
In fact when Catharine Taylor asked thought leaders to consider what is ahead for 2010, John Dudley, an editor at Hampden-Sydney College suggested that “At least one major retailer will develop an e-commerce Facebook app that will replace its entire “traditional” e-commerce Web site.

What does this really mean?
Can it mean that retailers will just increase their efforts by beefing up their fan page or throwing up some additional advertising on the walls?

No.. Mr Dudley is suggesting that e-commerce will move an actual sales channel into Facebook. This effort would require that a retailer build a storefront on the Facebook super highway. With a social network based store, users could stop and shop without leaving the Facebook system. They could use their regular profile, their recognized PayPal account and have UPS deliver the goods to their door. They would find shopping and sharing with distant family and friends a seamless experience.

What type of retailer would take that risk?
We suggest that gift merchants are the perfect group for the move toward an e-commerce/Facebook partnership, and here is why:

* Gift giving among family and friends sends about $115 Billion dollars into cash registers every year, in just the US alone.

* The concept of sharing gifts (virtual, at least) in Facebook is not a new concept, so selling real gifts through this space is not a giant leap.

* Facebook users have demonstrated that they want to stay connected and supportive to even the most distant contacts.

* Established affiliate sales systems provide the framework to track and administer the sales efforts.

Adding to this concept of e-commerce on social networks, a year end discussion on advertising trends suggest that; “Social media will provide a new sales channel for establishing product awareness and commercializing brands to better support traditional advertising or text-based ads”.
The keyword in this statement is the mention of a new sales channel, supported by advertising and other internet based tools. The integration of retail sales and online tools will provide the wise e-commerce pioneers with a head start into this emerging opportunity.

Which e-commerce retailer could take advantage of this emerging trend?
Amazon should be on the list, and so should Ebay. But Wal-Mart or Target could make a big move with this effort as well. Then there is Buy.com, Overstock.com and other 2nd tier online retailers, who might be looking for some differentiation from the big dogs in e-commerce.

It might be interesting to explore the possibility that an e-commerce retailer could use an engaging Facebook application to assist in gathering family and friends together to purchase gifts and share with each other.

We really like this idea…!!!

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

Social networks are very engaging walkways through today’s web experience.

The question we continue to ask is:  How much more engagement could you yield when you add extra FUN along the way? Would people stay longer or return more often, if a smile came to their face during each visit?

We like to think that transforming a social site into a fun party game, would increase engagement. This is the reason that we are sharing a holiday party that revolves around fun this season.

Volkswagen is also helping us prove this point with a project they have titled the Fun Theory.  Pete Cashmere reported more details on this project for Mashable where he wrote:

Among the experiments: does turning a set of subway stairs into a real-life piano encourage people to use them (answer: yes, 66% more). Another experiment asks whether making a trash can sound like a 50ft-deep well will make people pick up their trash.

Both of these experiments in engagement demonstrate the value of FUN to get people more involved.  More fun does indeed add to more participation.

Volkswagen and their agency have created a very viral video campaign, but they have also helped to demonstrate how online party games will add to regular social engagement. Web users traveling the trails and climbing the stairs of social networks will find themselves more engaged when there is fun involved.

Time will tell whether the AlbinoPhant online white elephant party will prove that fun equals higher engagement in social spaces. But if it does, then many other fun party activities will find their way onto the pages of Facebook, Twitter and the other social sidewalks on which we travel.

Thanks to Volkswagen and their agency DDB Stockholm for these videos and test results. We will share a couple of these for your entertainment and education… Enjoy the extra engagement this video FUN will offer:

The Fun Stairs Experiment
The Deep Trash Can Fun Test

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists