The NHL was one of the first advertisers to buy hockey-related terms, like puck, Zamboni, hat trick and slap shot. They encouraged players to share their drawings with the #DrawNHL hashtag on Twitter and also posted user created drawings on a Pinterest board.

Draw Something is known for incorporating pop-culture terms, like Lady Gaga, “Hunger Games,” and LeBron into the game, which users responded well to. The app began testing the new ad product with recognizable brands, such as KFC, Nike, and Doritos. The ad platform is a more seamless inclusion of branding than typical in-app advertising.

The important thing to learn from brand engagements within Draw Something is the seamless process for users to experience the game. Users have the option to draw the branded term or choose a different option if they do not like the brand. Draw Something has created an environment where players spend time drawing the branded images, and then want to share their masterpiece on their social networks without directly thinking of it as an advertisement.

Conversation Buzz for
Draw Something
Brand-Sponsored Words

Facebook:

• Draw Something has 1,677,876 Likes on Facebook

–      123,913 people talking about the page this week

• There was no official mention of adding brand-sponsored words on the Facebook page, and posts by Zynga mostly consist of user drawings

Twitter:

• @OMGPop is the official Twitter page (link on the Draw Something website is to @OMGPop)

–      23,537 followers of the page

@OMGPop has a Klout score of 60 (brand average of 20), indicating a high level of influence amongst followers and extended network

*Thanks to Rebecca May for writing this

Will these companies be the next Pinterest?  Only time will tell, but for now let’s keep an eye on the 8 companies below as they could make major waves in the advertising industry…

1.  Monogram – An iPad app that lets you shop from the best brands & stores in a Flipboard-like style.  We’ve seen a similar app in Google Catalogs that allows for a more dynamic shopping experience.  The difference is that Google Catalogs is almost a straight digital interruption of printed catalogs, and Monogram will most likely only pull in portions of the brands items.

2.  ReClipIt – This social network aggregates coupons and deals from sites such as Retail me not, we use coupons and Freebies4moms.  Users can view the deals in a Pinterest-esque grid or a standard list.  The site allows you to “reclip” to your own folder or link to the site to shop the item and claim the deal.

3.  PublikDemand – This site helps consumers launch viral complaints against big companies such as Chase, Wells Fargo, AT&T, Verizon and PayPal.  You can search the site to see if someone has a similar problem they can’t get solved with a company, and then through a collected voice they fight for their solutions.  Brands need to be responding appropriately on social media channels when complaints surface so that they don’t get to PUblikDemand.

4.  TeliportMe – An extension of the visual-apps, like Instagram, Telliportme lets users create high-res panoramas anywhere.  The images made with this will most likely see an uptick in becoming Facebook Timeline users’ cover photos.

5.  Uscoop – Is a shopping site for college students.  They boast that they “are the first website that brings exclusive deals to college students on what’s hot now! From entertaining topics like campus fads and pimped-out dorm rooms to deals on undiscovered brands and local businesses, we deliver awesome finds to you that celebrate all that is great about the college lifestyle.”

6.  UmbaBox & TieSociety– Umbabox builds off the popularity of handmade goods on Etsy, by only focusing on helping users discover handmade womens’ goods via a monthly subscription service. Similarly, TieSociety, focus’ on men, offering a try-before-you-buy subscription service for men’s neckwear.  We will see more niche shopping sites & clubs like these continue to pop up.  There’s already been huge traction with men’s razors, and womens shoes.

7.  Yogome – Games have long since moved from the nerdy guy in the basement on his console, to mass playing on social sites, mobile phones and now iPads.  Yogome, creates fun & educational games for kids aged 6-12 on the iPhone & iPad.

Check out Google Maps cool labyrinth web game, Absolut Vodka’s augmented reality street art, how Stride gum created the world’s longest  banner ad, and more!

1. Learn About Google Maps With Their New Cube Game

Don’t you remember playing with those little maze toys where you had to tilt it around to get the small marble in the hole?  Well, Google has created a digital version on the labyrinth game that lets you tilt around a cube to help you navigate to your destination.  In the end, the game will let you know what you time was and tell you a random fact about Google Maps.  The entire concept is a very innovative way to engage and teach users about a platform.

2. Absolut’s Augmented Reality Concept Reel

If you’re looking for a potentially cool campaign, you have to check out this concept reel for Absolut that lets you take street art to a new level.  They took Google Maps and fused it into another app that allows you create digital street art anywhere you go.  The designs can be shared on Facebook and you will be able to purchase a bottle of Absolut designed with your street art.

3. Stride Gum Creates the World’s Longest Banner Ad

Stride prides itself on being the ridiculously long lasting gum so what better way than to create a ridiculously long banner ad to really prove a point?  Stride created a banner ad that challenged people to hold their mouse cursor over a target for as long as possible for a chance to win $500.  Random obstacles get in the way, but one lucky winner was able to keep their cursor over the target for over 46 minutes!  Now that’s a ridiculously long time!

4. Subscription Commerce Takes to the Skies with Surf Air

If you’re a frequent flyer, this new monthly subscription service may be for you.  Surf Air is giving customers an all-you-can-fly private airline membership to those that pay a monthly fee.  Customers are able to reserve up to 6 flights and go to their local airport to catch a plane.  While the site is still in beta, users are able to sign up for their waiting list if they are interested.

5. Foursquare Planning to Offer Personalized Coupons

Foursquare is planning to launch a redesign to their app in July with a new feature that will allows stores to offer personalized local offers.  Stores will have to buy special placements of their ads and users will be able to redeem the coupon upon checking in to the venue.  This new feature is in effort to help create some revenue for the location-based service.  It’ll be interesting to see how it will work, so we will keep an eye on this feature in the next couple of months.

The video currently has over 2.2 million views on YouTube and has been shared on Facebook over 1.2 million times. P&G created a Facebook page devoted to “Thank You Mom,” which has half a million fans so far. The page has incorporated a tab for people to publicly thank their own mothers. The campaign also features a “Thank You Mom” app where people can thank their moms by uploading personalized content (video, images, or text message) and then encourage friends and family to do the same.

The important thing to note about the campaign is that P&G is not pushing products through an offer or product display. Instead, P&G is sparking conversations with consumers to build brand relationships. P&G stated earlier this year that the brand plans to shift focus from products to people to build a community around the brand and the “Thank You Mom” campaign is their first step towards accomplishing this goal.

YouTube:

-The “Best Job” video has received 2,687,316 views on ProcterGamble’s channel thus far
-It has 17,599 likes and 271 dislikes
-1,534 comments have been made on the video
-P&G’s channel has 1,436 subscribers
-Viewers can click to submit their story on YouTube and are taking to a Facebook Tab in which they can write a personal message to their mom

Facebook:

-P&G’s “Thank you, Mom” page has 549,379 likes and 43,750 people talking about the page
-On the Thank you, Mom tab, there have been 5,842 moms thanked so far

Twitter:

-@proctergamble has 25,137 followers
-Klout score is 58, which indicates a relatively high level of influence amongst followers and its extended network

Thanks to Rebecca May for writing this!

Read more to find out why Target will stop selling Kindles, how one of the largest retailers in Korea is working to increase sales during their slowest business hours, and more.

1. Target battles “showrooming” by stopping Kindle sales

In order to combat the “showrooming” practice that encourages shoppers to check out products at physical stores and then buy online at Amazon, Target has now put its foot down and is dropping the Kindle from its stores.  Target has already pulled the Kindles from their online site and will begin removing them from the stores in the coming weeks.

2. Emart creates 3D shadow QR code to help increase sales

One of Korea’s largest retailers Emart noticed their sales decreasing drastically during their lunch hours.  In order to increase sales during this time, they installed a 3D shadow QR code that could only be scanned between the hours of 12-1PM when the sun and shadow aligned perfectly to reveal a QR code.  Customers could scan to receive coupons, shop directly from the app and have the products delivered to their home.

3. Milk, Please crowdsources last minute grocery items

Don’t you hate that moment when you get home from the grocery store and realize you forgot one item?  Based out of Italy, Milk, Please is an online crowdsourcing service that helps you with those last minute grocery items.  Users can send through a request through the platform and from there, someone who is on the way or already at the store can add your item to their list and drop off the item on their way home.

4. Foursquare partners with OpenTable to offer reservations

With all the new features Foursquare has been rolling out, many of them have been aimed to make Foursquare your number one place to read reviews, check-in, and to get discounts.  Now, they have partnered with OpenTable to let users make a reservation to over 15,000 venues across the US with just the click of a button.

5. Win items from Michael Kors’ summer collection with their Mother’s Day campaign

Fashion brand Michael Kors is looking to their Facebook fans to help with their Mother’s Day campaign. “What She Wants” is a contest that allows one person to get an item from his summer collection every day leading up to Mother’s Day.  For the first time ever, they have made their contest mobile compatible within the Facebook app knowing that women are often using mobile devices to connect with people.

The movie promoted “Anti-Bullying Twitter Tuesday” and the trend #BullyMovie on their website, and was picked up by supporters such as 17-year-old Change.org petition leader Katy Butler. #BullyMovie was also picked up by pop culture celebrities with large Twitter followings, such as Ricky Martin, Jimmy Fallon, and Ryan Seacrest.

In conclusion, the Bully movie did a great job of promoting awareness across a wide audience about the overall anti-bullying campaign while promoting the new movie, which opens in theatres today, April 13^th. Although The Weinstein Company ultimately edited some scenes to achieve a PG-13 rating, the Twitter campaign gave the movie and the issue it speaks to a much higher level of awareness among its target audience. The reality that is presented to the audience may not be as harsh as the original cut but the important thing is that the movie got the exposure it was aiming for.

STATS

#BullyMovie Twitter Trend

The Bully Twitter Volume

Twitter:

–      @bullymovie has 27,868 followers and a Klout score of 77, indicating a high level of influence over its followers and extended network

–      After the launch of the campaign, Klout score increased by 7 pts and continue to slowly increase in the days after

–      The movie hashtag trended at number three on Twitter during the day of the campaign

Facebook:

–      The Bully Movie has 82,058 Likes on Facebook

–      The Facebook posts discussing opening day of the movie received 3,196 likes, 310 comments, and 744 shares

*Thanks to Rebecca May for writing this!

Following Facebook’s purchase of Instagram, many were left wondering what app category would become the “next big thing.” If recent performance is any indication, mobile video sharing seems ready for the spotlight.

Visual Culture

One reason mobile video sharing is seeing rapid adoption is the new simplicity of communicating with photos and videos. This is a trend we’ve been watching for a while thanks to cues like Tumblr, Instagram, and even Socialcam. Smartphones and portable media players are rapidly replacing camcorders, making it easy for people of all ages to capture and upload videos.

Meanwhile, video apps are getting to the point where they make video easier to edit. Socialcam and Viddy both feature simple filters like Instagram does for photos, so it’s easy to make a photo look retro, or just more visually appealing, before posting.

Create Deeper Connections

Tumblr and Instagram have demonstrated that visual content can create deeper connections with fans of brands and celebrities.

Even before Viddy and Socialcam saw massive growth, services like Tout and WhoSay have been using mobile video to connect celebrities with their fans on social media in a more personal way. When Shaq announced his retirement on the video sharing service Tout, users of the service spiked.

More brands and celebrities will turn to mobile video sharing to create authentic connections with fans. In a world where video is constantly being produced, the candid moments capture on mobile video provide a unique look behind the scenes of the lives of the celebrities and brands we love.

Brands like GE already use Instagram to provide this inside look that resonates. Verizon uses mobile photo sharing for its Facebook cover photos. Moving forward, mobile video capture can serve the needs of both of these approaches. Behind the scenes and inside looks into production of new products while also serving as a medium for fans to express themselves and participate in the creation of a brand’s identity.

It’s the Future of Communication

Mobile video traffic (not just sharing, but even just viewing YouTube videos) accounted for more than half of mobile traffic in 2011 according to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index. The same report also forecasts mobile video to account for 2/3 of all traffic by 2016.

Mobile video sharing still faces technological hurdles. It takes longer to edit, apply filters, and upload than a photo does. It consumes a lot of data. But if enough users start to hit these hurdles now that Viddy and Socialcam are becoming popular, innovation in this space will become even more important.

Meanwhile, simpler editing tools will also make people less apprehensive about communicating through video. Programs are even making it easier for people to shoot video without worrying about their hands shaking or how to frame a shot.

Give Viddy or Socialcam a shot, and let us know what you think. Do you think these services are the next big thing?

Simeon Spearman, 04.26.2012

This week, read about how you can get discounted airfare just by using the Anywake app or by shopping as fast as you can in a Puma store, the new Tipp-Ex interactive YouTube video, and how TV Everywhere is possible with NimbleTV.

1. Get Discounts on Airfare With the Anywake Alarm

If you find waking up in the morning a challenge, Lufthansa’s Anywake app may give you a big incentive to get your day started on time. Users can select a standard sound to wake up to every morning, but on random mornings the app will play the sounds of a random city. To turn off the alarm, they have to guess which city it is, and if they are correct, they will receive a discounted airfare to that city.

2. Save the Hunter and Bear with Tipp-Ex’s New Interactive YouTube Video

Everyone remembers the Tipp-Ex Hunter Shoots A Bear interactive YouTube video. Well Tipp-Ex is back with a sequel called Hunter and Bear’s 2012 Birthday Party. A large meteor threatens the bear’s birthday party and so the hunter invites users to type in any year in the box to save them from the imminent danger

3. How You Can Score A Discount at Puma by Speed Shopping

Puma in Mexico is promoting their running shoes by allowing the fastest shoppers to receive discounts on the products. Upon entering the store, customers press a button that starts a timer and gives them a timestamped ticket. Once they are done shopping, they press a second button at the checkout counter to stop their clock and are awarded discounts based on their shopping time.

4. Watch TV Everywhere with NimbleTV

NimbleTV plans to make TV Everywhere a reality. The new startup works without any long-term contracts, startup fees, or rewiring cables. The service simply uses an internet connection to allow people to watch TV on any internet-enabled device. NimbleTV also allows for unlimited and multiple show recordings so consumers can watch them later.

Costa Coffee’s Facebook page also saw huge increases with page views and reach throughout the same time period. Daily page views increased from 1,500 to 10,000 and the average reach of status updates increased from 50,000 to 200,000.

The Fan Favourites app was on the Facebook page as a tab application and was accessed over 68,000 times by more than 40,000 people. Costa Coffee generated buzz around the app by promoting with Facebook’s Sponsored Stories ads. Throughout March, the app encouraged users to discuss their favorite things, such as their favorite smell or favorite color. By repeatedly asking new and engaging questions throughout the month, fans repeatedly visited the tab. The app was beneficial for boosting fan acquisition in the short term, but supported the content strategy that will maintain long term engagement.

The content strategy Costa Coffee had been maintaining included an average six updates to the Facebook page a month, but in January 2012, PR agency Paratus Communications increased the content strategy to three posts a day. They focused more on emotional and visual content with the implementation of Facebook Timeline. Costa Coffee also puts in effort to respond to fan comments by posting generalized responses instead of responding to individual fans. This improved content strategy has created an engaging online community for the brand and fans to interact.

Facebook:

• Costa Coffee currently has 514,853 Likes and 27,951 people talking about the page this week

– In the beginning of January the Facebook page had 240,970 Likes

• Posts relating to the Fan Favourites contest in March garnered 1,461 likes, 784 comments, and 42 shares

Twitter:

• @CostaCoffee has a Twitter page, but has 1 tweet from Oct 2011

– The page has 6,327 followers

*Thanks to Rebecca May for writing this!

This week, read about Google’s new TV-Like Metric, Adidas’ Tracker Embedded Clothing, Domino’s recruiting via iPad game, and how iHeart Radio’s fan base grew 30-fold.

1. Google announced the launch of Active GRP, a measurement system that measures traditional display, video and mobile in a similar way to TV’s gross rating point system (GRP). Active View, will help to measure the “viewable impression” in hopes of moving media dollars to online. Creating their own methodology could be risky business, but it’s Google and we wouldn’t expect less. The pilot is running currently and it will ultimately be up to the Media Rating Council to provide accreditation.

2. Wearable monitoring devices has been a trend among athletes for the last few years, but Adidas has stepped up the offering with their miCoach performance tracking system. miCoach is a suite of devices and monitors, come embedded into the clothing that can track performance real-time, such as hear rate, movement and goal achievements. Adidas will be trialing the equipment in the 2012 MLS All-Star game in Philedelphia on July 25th. Caoches will be able to see a visualization of each players performance and make judgment calls based on hard data.

3. Back in November, Domino’s launched a pizza making game to increase engagements with the brand through game play, also allowing for ordering the pizza you made. The company expanded the app, so once you complete a series of levels, you are invited to apply for an actual job. This is one of the smartest uses of data a company could think of!

4. iHeartRadio, Clear Channels social music app, found success in upgrading to be featured in Facebook’s timeline. Using the open graph action verb ‘listen’, helped to increase their fan base to 2.5 million users a month, up 30 fold. Brands can benefit from utilizing Facebook’s action verbs to increase exposure on fans timelines.