Think About It

Not sure what Web 2.0 means to you? Honestly, that's O.K. because we're not even sure what Web 2.0 even means. Well, according to online advertising guru, Clark Kokich of Razorfish, you needn't worry about it because Web 2.0 is dead.

Which is a good thing because Web 3.0 will finally bring it all together in a way that will truly benefit business - but only for those willing to take a risk. According to Kokich:

"Web 3.0 will be much more focused on business solutions and less on marketing communications," he says. "We're at a point now where you take all of these tools -- websites, search, mobile, targeted ads -- and put them together in an integrated fashion."

We read the article, "Razorfish issues last rites for Web 2.0" and thought you might find it interesting, too.

If any doubts remained about the mass adoption of mobile technology, they were dispelled when Apple sold one million of its 3G iPhones in the weekend of their U.S. debut.

The popularity of the iPhone and other web-enabled devices isn’t unexpected. What is shocking, however, is how the vast majority of businesses are ignoring this growth area in their communications.

Already, 40 million Americans actively use the mobile Internet, according to data published by Nielsen Mobile in May 2008. About 36 million people use portals like Google and Yahoo! from their phones. Industry leaders like Vic Gundotra of Google believe that within a few years, more Web searches will originate from mobile devices than from fixed computers.

Yet reports say that a mere 5 percent of the results from a typical Google search are viewable on mobile devices. Clearly, there is a disconnect between what consumers want and what businesses are providing.

At Point of Vision, we’re extending our development skills so we can help our clients succeed in the mobile arena. Not only will we be able to recommend mobile strategy. We’ll be able to create and implement new mobile tools.

Learning new skills, especially when it comes to unlocking the potential of new technology, is what we do here. It’s why we developed in-house Web expertise 15 years ago. We understood that brands could be strengthened – or weakened – not just by their Web presence but by their Web experience, which required good visual design as well as well-orchestrated navigation. We were one of very few design shops that also provided Web design. This gave our clients an advantage because we were able to develop a consistent brand experience across traditional and new media.

This summer, we sent our technology specialist, Ben Ku, to San Francisco for Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. There, Ben learned more about the capabilities of the new iPhone. From the insight he’s shared, and from our continuous reading about mobile technology, our team is working on ways that our clients can use mobile capabilities to advance their brands.

We imagine using mobile devices to send timely information right to the hands of customers and other audiences. We’re especially interested in how communication can be targeted and customized based on the geographic location of the person on the receiving end.

We’re cooking up something now that shows how mobile technology can be a natural, powerful part of an overall communication strategy. Stay tuned!

Once upon a time, M!X restaurant in Brookhaven was a place to see and be seen. In more ways than one.

The owners outfitted this hip tapas bar with high-tech bathrooms so funky, some people considered them reason enough to check out the place. Here’s the hook: the bathroom doors were made of colored glass. When they were unlocked, you could see right through them. When someone went in and locked the door, the glass frosted over for privacy. Very cool concept.

Alas, some M!X patrons found the lock a bit tricky, so they gave up and just went about their, um, business. No lock meant no frost, which meant anybody with line of sight to the bathroom got an eyeful.

Sloan’s, an ice cream shop in West Palm Beach, Fla., has the same set-up for its bathrooms. There, too, the patrons sometimes neglect to lock up, creating an inadvertent peep show. And at Sloan’s, the accidental voyeurs aren’t adults enjoying a night at the bar, but kids looking for nothing naughtier than a scoop of rocky road.

The owner of Sloan’s told a reporter the glass doors have been worth the occasional embarrassing moments, plus the $30,000 he paid to outfit his two bathrooms. He said people come in all the time to see the bathrooms and end up buying ice cream. Indeed, among the online reviews of Sloan’s, you’ll find as many recommending the bathrooms as the ice cream.

Nevertheless, we question whether this is really the best marketing tool for Sloan’s. Bathrooms that sometimes bare all may drive away families with kids – people who are more likely to become loyal, repeat customers than the techno-thrill seekers who stop by to see the bathrooms in action.

It’s only human to get excited by new technologies, be they bathroom doors or iPhone applications. But it’s important to look beyond the gee-whiz factor and evaluate the fit with your markets and your brand.

Put simply, technology that’s cool isn’t necessarily cool for you. Forget that simple truth, and you could really get caught with your pants down.

June 2008, Virginia Highlands neighborhood, Atlanta

Don’t you love that GEICO commercial?

No, not the one with the NASCAR-wanna-be kid.

No, not the one with the offended cavemen.

You know ... the one with Mrs. Butterworth!

GEICO, whose advertising once was centered squarely on its animated gecko, now floods the airwaves with concurrent ad campaigns.

The strategy is working. From 1996 to 2006, the insurance company increased its total premiums from $3 billion to $11 billion, and increased its share of written auto insurance premiums from 4.61 percent to 6.25 percent.

Taking a closer look at GEICO’s multiple ads, we see four reasons why they’re successful:

1. GEICO is using a shotgun approach to hit different demographic groups. The cavemen ads appeal to young men. The celebrity-assisted testimonials bring in faded stars such as Joan Rivers and Peter Frampton, winning over baby-boomers and older audiences. And the old, reliable gecko tests well with middle-aged women. GEICO knows it has more than one target market, so it’s developed a campaign for each important audience.

2. Each campaign is entertaining. The Martin Agency, which creates GEICO’s ads, knows that insurance is boring. That’s why the ads “need  to be funny and need to get noticed,” according to creative director Steve Bassett. Not only is each individual ad designed to be amusing, but the agency creates enough spots for each campaign that it doesn’t have to run the same spot over and over. The rotation keeps the ads fresh.

3. GEICO hasn’t been shy about pouring money into advertising. In 2005, GEICO spent $403 million on advertising. That’s more than the Coca-Cola Company spent that year. With that kind of investment, it’s no wonder they’ve become top of mind among consumers.

4. From a brand perspective, GEICO’s concurrent campaign strategy works because all the ads share the same message: GEICO can save you money without a lot of hassle. The cavemen campaign is centered on this message. In other campaigns, the core brand value is tidily summed up in GEICO’s ever-present tag line: “15 minutes can save you 15 percent.”

All things considered, GEICO is providing an excellent example of being consistent without being one-dimensional or boring. GEICO’s campaigns take many creative directions, but they are united by a similar, quirky personality, and by an unwavering message of value. That’s why they’re synergistic, not schizophrenic.

We don’t all have hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on advertising, but we can all learn from GEICO’s success. Different audiences sometimes call for different creative approaches, and we can answer that need without creating brand chaos. If we remain faithful to our brand’s personality and message, we can build a unified brand ... no matter how diverse our creative directions may be.