Less than a 5 minutes walk from were i live, stands a 75 meters wide outdoor, that a few weeks ago had only written a strange URL: www.o-que-e-isto.com (translated as what-is-this.com).
Once you got to the website you could upload your photo and had a chance to be featured on this huge outdoor, as one of the 68 face drawings on the final illustration.
The integrated campaign, developed by Fullsix Portugal for mobile carrier TMN is a great example how the boundaries between online and offline life are disappearing, extending our presence not only on multiple platforms but now also AFK (away from keyboard). The User Generated Content went offline to online and back again, with the outdoor sharing the iterative nature of digital communication.
The document intends to clear some of the fears that brands and agencies might have on using this dynamic medium, framing the whole UGC movement and reminding brands that user reviews are just like personal recommendation, one of the most effective forms of advertising.
Blogs, wikis, UGC and Ad Networks are described, with several examples how to integrate advertising with social media. The myth that Social Networks is kids stuff was also debunked, by showing that “more than half of MySpace users were over 35 years old” and “LinkedIn, reports that its average user is 39 years-old and has an annual income of $139,000″.
With all the buzz surrounding social media, it’s easy for brands to jump into the bandwagon, and try to push their messages instead of engaging into conversations with their audience. Marketing author and blogger Seth Godin brilliantly states it on his latest book “Meatball Sundae”, reminding companies that just because they put money into new media that doesn’t necessarily translate into effective customers. Be ready to fail, experiment, optimize and most important, be ready to listen.
The document is a valuable first time reading for professionals that want to get acquainted with social media. For a 17 page paper, it manages to get a good overview that you can enrich with several web resources , such as Paul Isackson‘s recent presentation, or from Fallon planer Aki Spicer:
