Filed under: Attitude & Aptitude, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Fake Attitude, Insight, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Positioning, Technology
NIKON.
A fantastic camera brand with unquestionable credibility.
Now of course, many camera brands are under threat from the increasing quality – and convenience – of smartphone cameras, which is why many are trying to diversify their portfolio to counter any potential profit loss.
Based on this ad, it appears NIKON are trying to do this as well.
Of course, as we have seen from GOPRO and countless other brands … the ‘live action camera’ category has been growing at an incredible rate and while you could argue NIKON might be a bit late to the party, their credibility in cameras stands them in good stead.
Except it doesn’t.
You see what NIKON have failed to understand is that the ‘live action category’ is very different to the photographic category … sure, they both involve needing a lens to capture the action, but fundamentally the rules are different, the values are different and the culture around it are very different.
As I wrote here, GOPRO’s success is not just because they were one of the first to exploit this market, but because they were part of the culture that created this market.
They understood who these people were.
What they do.
What they want.
What they feel.
This knowledge influenced everything … from their positioning [the utterly brilliant, ‘Be A Hero’] through to the style of advertising they created.
The fact NIKON’s ad shows an image that comes from the perspective of watching others do something, highlights how they have failed to understand the audience they are talking too.
All they’ve done is transfer their photographic approach to their communication … but the audience they need to engage have a totally different set of values and aspirations.
Of course it would be hard for them to achieve this given GOPRO have already nailed it with their ‘in the middle of the action‘ photographic style … but that’s the difference between a brand that looks at a category as a sales opportunity versus a brand that is born from the culture it plans to engage with.
As I’ve said many, many times … culture is far more important than category.
Don’t let anyone tell you different.
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PS: Happy Australia Day … a day where you are not just legitimately allowed to get pissed before 10am, but positively encouraged to be. Have a top day. And a top hangover tomorrow.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Brilliant Marketing Ideas In History, Comment, Crap Products In History, Culture, Cunning, EvilGenius, Experience, Innovation, Marketing, Marketing Fail
So a while back I saw this weird looking thing being advertised everywhere.
It’s that thing at the top of this page.
At first, I was captivated … it looked like the ultimate gadget.
And then, on closer inspection, I realised it literally did nothing.
That’s right …
No wifi.
No bluetooth.
No nothing.
Just a bunch of buttons and balls to press, roll and click.
Seriously, who would need this shit?
People with game controller addiction?
People with pen clicking obsession?
People with nothing better to do?
And then I saw the manufacturers had created this terrible video to help explain things …
Look, I know the ‘fidget cube’ is relatively cheap … but contrary to the video’s claims, ‘fidgeting’ is not actually an addiction and so you have to ask if people really need something like this over – say – ‘tapping their foot’ repeatedly.
So I bought one.
And you know what … it’s fucking amazing.
I know … I know … my taste is hardly the barometer for mass acceptance, but remember, I am saying positive things about something that literally has no wifi, bluetooth or web access and I’m a guy that has bought robot balls and a mug that will digitally tell me what I’m drinking even though I CAN TASTE WHAT I AM DRINKING.
I’ve bought loads of them now.
In multiple colours.
And while that may make me look a fucking idiot, the fact is there’s a valuable lesson in all this.
No, it’s not that ‘Rob spends his money on tat’ [though that is also a learning] it’s the fact that if someone had told me about it, I’d have dismissed it as ridiculous.
An over-engineered solution to a problem that isn’t really a problem.
And yet the reality is, I didn’t just buy it … I use it all the time and I truly feel it has helped me focus more.
I know that sounds mad and I swear I have no commercial interests in it … but on top of everything, it reinforced a lesson I have continually pushed upon The Kennedys, which is never kill an idea until you’ve tried it.
Never.
Not just because you may find it actually could end up being something awesome, but even if it doesn’t, it often opens up doors of opportunity you never would have seen before.
The older I get, the more I realise ‘try before you kill’ is one of the most important lessons you can learn.
Especially for planners.
Especially for planners who want to help create something that can change something.
Even if it ends up being something people ridicule.
Until they try it.
Filed under: Comment
So when I was in Sydney recently, I saw this …
Look, I get that people in IT are still often viewed as acne riddled, socially inept individuals that listen to Norwegian death metal, have no girlfriend/boyfriend and masturbate into a sock – or something – but seriously, is this the sort of image you want to portray to potential customers?
Sure, the ad says ‘they help with leads’ – not to mention they are allegedly the #1 digital marketing firm in Sydney [which I’d love to know how they determine] but when the person in the ad looks like the sort of person who could only connect you to pedophiles, is that the sort of image you really want to convey?
And what about the people who work there?
Do they really like being promoted as the sort of person last seen in ‘Revenge of the Nerds’?
I get our industry can take itself too seriously sometimes, but I also think we often go to the other extreme with rubbish like this and the countless embarrassing singing bullshit so many of them love to do.
Which all goes to show that for an industry that says we help business communicate itself to the public in the most commercially valuable of ways, we’re pretty shit at doing it ourself.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Creativity, Culture, Insight, Marketing, Media, Quotes, Social Divide
So I saw this quote recently and I admit I found it very interesting.
Yes, I know there are flaws with it … from being a generalised statement to being dependent on the media you individually engage with … however if you put that aside and look at it from the perspective of mainstream communication, I do think there’s something in it.
Which begs the question …
If you were to really look at the ads trying to grab your attention today, what do you think they are saying about the values, attitude and aspirations of the country you live in.
I’m genuinely interested to get your perspective. Thank-you.
Filed under: China, Chinese Culture, Comment, Culture, Holiday
So today is the start of the Chinese New Year holiday.
Yep, that means my first holiday of 2017 has already commenced.
A holiday that sees me away until the 5th February.
I know … I know … but don’t blame me, blame the Chinese Government. Or someone.
If it’s any consolation, I’ll be spending the next week or so doing a bunch of stuff. Sure, none of it will be ‘real work’, but according to you, I’ve never been doing that anyway.
Anyway, to celebrate the year of the Chicken [or, said another way, the year KFC’s share price goes through the roof], I leave you with this …
See you next month.