It was confirmed this month that Rovio – makers of the hit mobile game Angry Birds – has started work on the first Angry Birds movie. This got us wondering; how a game that began life as a mobile app featuring disgruntled poultry and flying pigs has developed into such a hugely successful global franchise, now worth an estimated £760 million?

The answer: its close links with social platforms.

Close to bankruptcy back in 2009, designers Mikael and Niklas Hed realised the smartphone was about to take off. Rovio launched the Angry Birds app and streamlined the design to be played on social platforms on mobiles.

Initally a flop, Apple agreed to feature Angry Birds as their game of the week on the UK App Store. Rovio produced a YouTube trailer to attract interest, only the second ever made for a game. It then jumped from 600th to 1st in the game app charts.

“Our growth has been very strong but we’ve only just started. We’re building a next generation media company,” said Andrew Stalbow, general manager of Rovio.

“We’re building an integrated entertainment franchise where merchandising, games, movies, TV, cartoons and comics all come together,” agreed Peter Vesterbacka, head of business development in America, “Like Disney 2.0.”

With former chairman of Marvel Studios David Maisel as the creator of Iron Man on board, the movie efforts come after Rovio recently purchased an animation studio in Helsinki. The studio is set to be producing a series of short videos to be released early next year as they target consumers outside the US to add to their 400 million individual downloads racked up so far, 50 million of those from just the last month.

Stalbow confirms, “Half of our fans right now are in the United States. But the second biggest market for us is China which is also our fastest growing market.”

Figures show that the combined number of minutes people spend playing Angry Birds amounts to over 200 million minutes per day, 1.2 billion hours per year. Why so addictive?

Charles L Mauro, president of design consultancy service MauroNewMedia puts it down to the simplistic design and interface; “These little birds are packed with clever behaviours that expand the user’s mental model at just the point when game-level complexity is increased.”

So whilst being highly compulsive, playing Angry Birds is good for the brain. Along with challenging your short term memory, casual mobile games were found to significantly improve players’ moods and levels of stress. Funded by games developer Popca and conducted by East Carolina University’s psychophysiology department, a 2008 study found that providing mental distraction was beneficial to the wellbeing of the 134 people tested.

From a business perspective it’s the carefully articulated distribution channels and business model that attribute to the Angry Bird’s success. The game is available as Facebook, iPhone, iPad, Android, Palm and Ovi apps; also as Chrome and Intel AppUp extensions, with level packs available to buy in-game at the touch of a button.

After noticing that Android app paywalls were not successful, Rovio adapted payment schemes to suit each platform – Angry Birds on Android Marketplace is now supported by adverts – the app now bringing in around £600,000 per year.

Angry Bird’s success goes deeper than the game. Taking consumer feedback seriously, as part of their social CRM policy to answer every tweet and letter from fans, Rovio even incorporate suggestions into new level designs.

Speaking of community based improvements, Stalbow confirmed, “The brand and the fans are at the heart of what we do. We make all our decisions based on the brand and the fan experience.”

If more companies took a feather from Angry Birds’ plume we’d see a lot more success.

A new wave of multichannel video service providers, or MVSPs for short, are transforming the television experience by kicking the traditional TV viewing format into a far more  social sphere. Maximising on interactivity by offering second screen capabilities, revolutionary new forms of usage behaviour are emerging relating to social discovery. For example in advertising breaks, a large number of brands and retailers now mention the ways in which you can connect via Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. MVSP systems will allow viewers to tap into these social channels via multi-screen technology at the click of a button, without leaving the program.

The main selling point however of social TV is its ability to provide personalised information connected to either the show or logged in user.  Taking this concept further, tailored advertising such as that found in the right hand columns on Facebook can draw on information gathered from the user’s viewing preferences or activity whilst logged in on social networking sites to offer personalised advertising solutions. 150 billion minutes of video content is downloaded from YouTube each month – that’s the equivalent of 4 million TV channels – proving that social television is the next logical step to connect social media and mainstream television.

Considering reports that Facebook will reach one billion users by 2012 out of two billion internet users worldwide, that’s a staggering statistic; a mass audience beyond the wildest expectations of any broadcaster for advertising possibilities. “We want to be your partner in unlocking 750 million friends,” Facebook’s European head Joanna Shields told broadcasters at IBC 2011’s keynote on Social Media. To be successful, social TV needs to be executed in alignment with a brand’s existing social strategy. It is for this reason we focus the attention of our broadcast clients on developing the right strategy to take full advantage of the opportunities available through social TV because the solution is nothing with the strategy.

Social television presents opportunities for extended content related to either the television show itself or brands featured in advertising breaks. Along with a broadband TV viewing experience comes countless opportunities for audience engagement and monetisation via additional content videos; real-time conversations related to the TV show and interaction between fans. Social television opens up opportunities to use smartphones and tablets as remote controls and program guides, not only making use of extended functionality and inter-connectivity but streamlining the whole viewing process.

“Social TV solutions provide the canvas for creative content producers, advertisers and merchandisers to create social TV experiences that matter” concluded Alex Blum, COO at KIT Digital. When social TV is adopted into the mainstream it will open out countless opportunities for brands to engage with their consumers more closely by understanding their purchasing behaviour and viewing habits. Furthermore, by tapping into this information brands can offer solutions to problems at points where the viewer is most susceptible to take note and buy, converting views to sales via ecommerce platforms on broadband enabled television sets. Welcome to the dawn of social TV friend!

Crafting the perfect résumé nowadays is a difficult task. Gone are the days of listing simply education and job history, instead we are seeing résumés that are social and interactive, that take advantage of our digital world.

With this in mind, some smart people at Colorado Technical University produced an infographic to guide us all on our journey to perfecting the modern résumé, with tips on how to go digital, as well as simply sprucing up your traditional version.

Some of the interesting facts it contains are:

• Video résumés are growing in popularity – YouTube search for ‘video resume’ returns 66,900 results (July 2011)

• Social networks can help or hinder – 45% of employees view potential candidates online BUT 33% admit to not offering a job after reviewing a social media profile

• Font is important – use Georgia, not Times New Roman, as it was designed to be read on computer screens

See the full infographic below:

Once again I was whisked away to another festival to blog, post and tweet on the activities of the day for a client.

While I was there I saw lots of brands trying to engage festival-goers to participate in a number of different, fun and ridiculous ways to get them talking about their product or service. I get what’s happening here.. Foot fall is high at festivals and organised outdoor events so brands pay to piggy-back on this ready made audience and hopefully convey their message to them. However, does this strategy work once people start to get boozed up and inhibitions as well as memories start to deteriorate? Plus, from personal experience, revelers prioritise other attractions that got the majority of them excited in the first place – the headline acts and performances from their favourite DJ/pop/rock star.

It got me thinking which is better: virtual interactions with your audience via Social media and multiple channels with a brand or through experiential activities. Well, there’s only one way to find out, FIGHT!! No seriously, I’ve thought about the pros and cons of various strategies and I’ve come to the following conclusions..

The benefits of experiential marketing is that it can really engage audiences giving them a fuller experience through immersion into the brand concept. Plus, experiential activity has the real potential to generate genuine word of mouth recommendations, thus creating real advocates for a brand or service. However, the majority of the time this activity is very localised and the audience reach is limited to the few that are actually present at the event or gathering. The exception to this would be a planned PR stunt, which is designed to not only spark conversation but can also glean main stream media coverage (think T-Mobile flash mobs et. al.).

Commuters seemingly burst into dance during the filming of a T-Mobile commercial

Virtual and Social interactions on the other hand can involve the masses in a relatively short space of time. A good viral YouTube video for example can reach thousands of views within days if executed well. A brand has struck gold if they’ve kept their audience in mind plus triggering their evolved Social instincts to share relevant content to their peer group. With this in mind digital engagement provides a two-way dialogue so brands can react quickly to what their public is enjoying so can mobilise promotional activities, incentives and implement this across many territories. The only drawback I can think of is that you need to have a big audience to speak to and ideally have built up a large enough following for your message to not fall flat. It’s a case of that old philosophical riddle: “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” In my opinion, it’s not all a numbers game as a return on engagement can be done with a few loyal fans, followers or connections providing the content that is shared is relevant and meaningful to them.

I feel that a savvy brand should incorporate the two disciplines in their marketing mix (which, by the way, our client is doing). By using the wide reach of Social media, digital tools and multiple channels in conjunction with regional experiential activity means they are getting the best of both worlds. This approach can only reinforce brand awareness and customer interaction, which hopefully for the brand, creates increased ‘talk-ability’ and real lasting memories.

H&M have undertaken a very central-lead approach to social media that means that most of the activity and all of the messaging comes straight out of the head office in Stockholm.  This has also meant that instead of starting up separate Facebook fan pages for each and every nation where they have a presence they run an international fan page that brings together all nationalities (do I need to mention that the language used is English?).

High quality video content from H&M

However, the pictures is slightly different if you have a peak at Twitter, where they have multiple accounts representing different countries including Norway, Israel, Spain, Canada, US… the list is long.  If you look at these channels the following is very different, and the UK based page has only 2,500+ followers (much lower than rivals such as River Island, All Saints and Topman/Topshop).  Why do you think that this is?  My take is that they use Facebook as a hub for activity and information, whereas Twitter is a more tactical channel that will benefit from using the local languages of the different markets.

I especially like their approach to video, and how they update their website and YouTube channels with regular and high quality content (H&M Fashion Video’s) from around the globe.  By glancing at views these are much appreciated by the fans and followers.

Shop H&M online in the UK this autumn

This autumn H&M will start selling clothes online to the UK market, which currently is only available to a limited number of countries (Scandinavia and a few select).  Further, they will introduce a new collection called ‘H&M Home’ with affordable fashion gear for your home – leopard print towels, sheets and cushions in current colors, lace curtains and more.  Do you think it will be well received?

Social media is increasing becoming a factor in how brands communicate with their customers.  The facts are hard to ignore:

- Facebook has over 400 million users worldwide

- 40 per cent of the UK population is on Facebook

- 2.5 million active Twitter users in UK

- Over 30 million tweets per day

- YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world

These are just a few of the social networks out there and there are many more…   However, you don’t have to be signed up to all of them to effectively communicate with your public.  Three regularly updated, channels are better than nine neglected social platforms.  Once you’ve established what social channels best reach your target audience, outlined below are a few tips to get the best out of what’s out there.

5 Social Media Top Tips

Keep updating

Creating a profile page is the first step, not the last.  Content needs to be refreshed, statuses updated, keep on top of it and you’ll find it becomes part of your marketing day.  Even better still is a customised page for your brand that keeps your visual presence uniform on various social websites.

Tone of voice

Social media is an opportunity relate to your audience in a more direct and open way.  Often it’s the personality of the brand or the more human qualities that distinguish your posts from other brands, and in turn will get you a reaction or comment from your audience.  This form of authenticity is in a sense a conversation rather than a lecture or company statement.  Plus you only have 140 characters (for Twitter) so make them count..

Don’t keep talking about yourself

Keep your communication varied and interesting.  You don’t have to keep pitching your product or service, as this can get repetitive and may switch people off your updates.  Remember not all news is newsworthy to your audience.  Do your followers or fans want to know about your admin issues?  Probably not, however they may want to know about a new innovation in the industry or a funny viral video that relates to your line of work.

Use multimedia platforms

Social video websites like YouTube are a great way of demonstrating how a product works in its optimum context.  This can aid the marketing efforts no end if produced correctly and with a bit of imagination.  Plus these videos can receive valuable feedback as well as integrate with other social platforms.

Make all your channels work for you

Combine the reach and high usage on Facebook with the status updates of twitter.  Also post YouTube videos of events or product demonstrations on your Facebook page.  Your social media can work together to provide a cohesive message for all you’re company communications.

Here at Neoco we can identify, consult and look after your businesses social media requirements.   Having worked with leading brands like Topman, Nationwide and Ubisoft – we can help you get in on the social act!

If we got together we could make brown babies

There is a tabletop game called Risk! I cannot quite remember all the territories but I think the most difficult to win with was the Russians. Fighting a war on so many fronts was a costly business and often the death of many a player. It’s seems clear that Google never played Risk! as their purchase of YouTube was much like buying the Russian territory in the game – a relentless battle on many fronts that drains resources. But if there was ever an organisation with a war chest big enough to to take the ‘risk’ then it would have to be Google. With some of the brightest minds pouring over the YouTube business looking for revenue models, they have done well to at least stem some of the flow if not plug it entirely. With that we’ve also seen an ascent (?) taking YouTube from ‘Poacher to Gamekeeper‘ and this continues with the (very discreet) launch of their new video rental service.

This is a HUGE piece of news due to the potential impact of this business model succeeding.

last seen wearing a T-shirt that read "I killed Blockbuster Video"

First, there is the competitive marketplace that already exists in this sector. Netflix is the major player here but there are many more like LoveFilm (UK) or the new Hulu service. The issue for those guys is the sheer size of YouTube’s audience which should steam roll them and mean it starts with a significant advantage.

Taking a bite out of Apple

Then there is the already existing rental service of iTunes. This is a big player too but Apple benefits from a large community of advocates (sometimes against reason) who will remain loyal. But this is not the biggest fear for Apple or potential ‘win’ for Google. That comes when we move to future technology. Let’s consider the YouTube rental service does well and picks up momentum. It would be very logical to build a YouTube Android phone…

take me to your iPhone

Android is already hotly tipped to take over the iPhone as the number one smartphone. There is no doubt it can win on units but what about the service. I’ve long said that Apple stands head and shoulders over it’s rivals because of the iTunes platform. It is more reliable, intuitive and ‘ingrained’ with the audience than any other store (including Ovi). But a YouTube Android phone changes that game. Imagine YouTube start serving all music (with optional videos) too. Now with an API on my phone (or dedicated handset) I could stream (on tether to my phone) a massive library of my music and video content. This becomes a major selling point for Google (and their partners like HTC) whilst really eating in to the iTunes dependency of some user. Consider, that I could then also easily share my playlists with friends or arrange to watch a movie at the same time (in different locations) and chat or skype too. There are a lot of possibilities here and it’s very exciting to see where things go.

argg, me hearties. I love's a good Googlin' on the high seas!

Finally, there is the irony element. Forget the potential here, let’s look at the service being a success and YouTube creating original content for their audience. Pretty much every online video service has done this at one point or another. You then have to consider the irony of YouTube creating original content which will be ripped and pirated by the audience and uploaded for free around the web – maybe even on another future YouTube. And is that the point when we recognise YouTube has finally come of age?

NB. I couldn’t put all this in and not mention Blockbuster Video. What has happened to them and where will this leave them?

"I used to be a somebody..."

In a slight side-step from Neoco’s staple digital-focused posts, I thought I would air a few comments about a campaign that has almost burnt-out the pixels in my brand new TV, owing to the media buyers who seem to have bought all the slots on More 4 as part of this campaign at the minute. The campaign is for Halifax, whose recent TV ad highlights the £5 payment they offer all their award current account customers each month.

As a Halifax customer, I have to admit that this ad makes me feel genuinely embarrassed, firstly for seemingly entrusting my money to a complete bunch of social outcasts, but also for the poor individuals working for Halifax who have now had this idiotic reflection forced upon them by their marketing department.

I can usually understand the logic behind involving the staff in advertising campaigns – using it as a motivational tool by letting the staff know they are respected and valued, while at the same time appealing to the sensitivities of the consumer by appearing to be a transparent and sharing, caring organization. This has been a strong theme in a lot of above-the-line ads of late, my most memorable being the ongoing Sainsbury’s campaign, and in the main I think it works.

However, this campaign fails to build on the success of the Halifax Howard years, simply because Howard was a genuine employee, clearly having a laugh at his own expense, rallying the workforce to get on board and have a laugh with him. As such, this highlighted Halifax as a bank unafraid of breaking with stuffy banking conventions, clearly focusing on more liberal ways of doing things, whilst always continuing to credit its employees within its advertising. Unfortunately, what this new campaign has done is offer a pedestal to a group of Halifax employees who, rather than spending their days working in the bank (God forbid!), instead work at a Halifax radio station taking calls from other employees who have deluded themselves into thinking they’re in space, simply because they’ve put a waste paper bin on their head. And I’m not even going to mention the ‘high fives’ littered throughout the minute-long ad – I’m sure you can reach your own conclusion.

What DLKW have failed to realize is that the success of the Howard campaign was simply because it offered the consumer a laugh alongside the main sales message, a laugh which was at the expense of an individual rather than reflecting on the company as a whole. In my opinion, this campaign doesn’t offer nearly enough ‘entertainment’ to achieve cut-through with the audience to actually deliver the sales message (I’ve watched this ad 100 times or so now and still needed to re-wind the YouTube video just then to actually figure out what the ad is trying to say!). Not only that, it makes you wonder why you would ever put your money in the hands of a bunch of work-shy monkeys, so even if the message does hit home, you’re immediately going to question it anyway. In short, I’ll be moving my savings account. <Rant ends>

How does it relate to you?

Social Media/”Consumer Generated Media”, although fairly new compared to other forms of online communication is the third most popular way to spend time online, in fact 1/5 of all time spent online, in the UK is spent on Social Networks. Added to this is the perception, among the more traditional among you is that Social Networks are there just for younger audiences that just spend most their time on Facebook/Myspace/YouTube. Yes these are key sites, and yes young people are still in these spaces, but there is a huge space online that is inhabited by all ages, in fact between April 08 – April 09 18-34 age group lost a 8.3% share of online user composition, in community member sites. There is almost an equal share between 18-34 and 35-49 age groups, if you then add in 50-64 group, the share held by 18-34’s is looking rather small.

Once you take away the big sites I have mentioned above, naming another 7 Social Media sites which reach over 3m unique users (in the UK) per month might be a bit of stretch and no Twitter isn’t one of them! But this just points out there is huge untapped market, where you can interact, it doesn’t have to be through the initial channels that you would think of.

So basically, pretty much all age groups are using Social Media, you know their interests, age group and where they live. For Marketers, this is a dream, as all over the internet users can be talking about your brand, doing some of the leg work for you.

Who rules online?

This would be fantastic if everything being said was positive, however as we all know, this is not the case! What has happened is that control has been taken away from brand’s and instead given to the public. A scary thought indeed, but you can help even the balance through buzz monitoring, such as Neoco’s PoNo service. But added to this you can interact with disgruntled consumers in a very public place and can in fact turn negative publicity into a very positive outcome. Toyota did this in the states with one of their best selling car’s, the Camry. They opened a dialogue with key bloggers who were unhappy with the product, helped improve the product and in front of a huge audience of readers solved the problems for them. This was great PR, and was widely praised in blogs. For organisations who do latch on to this new approach to marketing, that sometimes you do make mistakes, but you are happy to rectify them, its a huge step forward and can forge trust in a brand that cannot be repeated elsewhere.

One thing you need to think of before approaching the world of social media is planning. With both negative and positive outcomes in mind, knowing how to react to them before they come. Having key set of objectives and KPI’s in place so you can track how well your campaign is doing, whether this is brand awareness or ROI. When it comes to planning and experience Neoco are digital experts, so please drop us a line to find out how are tools and services can help you.

Thanks to the guest speaker Alex Burmaster, from Nielsen.