One of the biggest events of the year for TV advertising is coming up on Sunday, February 7th 2010. Super Bowl XLIV will be a time when we get to see commercials that push the envelop of creativity. But this year marks a transition as we see a major contributor, Pepsi Co, without a commercial presence. This breaks a 23-year long tradition.
This opens an interesting question, how will television advertising transition to internet/web advertising? Are big companies like Pepsi beginning to see that consumers are increasingly more receptive to commercial spots on website programming such as Hulu.com?
We’ve really become an internet-based society. If you don’t have Tivo or a similar system and missed a favorite TV show, you can hop on the web to watch it later. Amazing! And major brands are taking notice of this change. But have no fear, there will still be advertising delights on Super Bowl Sunday. It is a cultural tradition with a momentum that doesn’t show signs of slowing down.
I’m sure you’ve seen those Apple commercials showing off iPods that are fun and modern — hip to the bone. Their high energy projects a vibe that reinforces a cultural relationship between Apple and their customers.
Keying in to the power of such a relationship, our client Demandware wanted a similar mood to show off their eCommerce platform. This B2B “ad” lives right on their home page and lets you rock out to music by “The League”.
Marketing is a crucial component to product and often company success. With so many available possibilities to communicating your message, it is often the simple approach that makes a big impact with your audience.
Information today is dispersed through a number of different outlets such as websites, television, newspapers and radio. Recently I came across a rather interesting graphical representation of a century’s worth of past, present and future changes to where people turn for information.
Understanding and being able to predict how information is consumed can put you ahead in business. By being aware of how to connect with your customers, readers, clients and leads you’ll be able to adapt more quickly. A current example is with newspapers; today less people are buying them and instead turning to electronic devices (such as Amazon Kindle) to receive news and articles.
Another communication trend involves interactive animation. Flash product demos are an effective way of showing off a product or service via CD-Rom or over the web. It’s an interactive medium that is much more flexible than a standard print document. Not only is it more cost effective but it can also provide a virtual tour of features — simulating actual use.
So the question is, what mediums and methods will you use to get information to your customers, prospects and leads? Are you ready to step out of the box to explore the opportunities of interactive media?
Business Week's "The 21 Heroes of Data Visualization"
Turning information and complex concepts into intelligent design is part of what CGI interactive does daily. However, in the recent months, data visualization has become a greater topic of discussion.
In a recent article by BusinessWeek they profiled “21 Heroes of Data Visualization.” Included in this mix are Paul Prudence, Pedro Monteiro, and Brandon Martin-Anderson. Through data visualization they have been able to make maps, oil pricing, and sound frequencies look not just pretty…but pretty amazing. Not only are they appealing to the eye, but they hold valuable information. And it seems, this is just the beginning.
In recent weeks clients have been discussing the idea of data visualization and how they can integrate it into their marketing plans. Some recent examples I have seen include: http://www.wefeelfine.org/ and www.flickervision.com. Both of these sites apply data taken from the Internet and create a single hub of information through graphic representation.
Earlier this year, the talented creative team at CGI released the “Good Earth”. A site which takes inspiring news from around the world and presents it through a single, accessible platform: www.cgiinteractive.com/OurGoodEarth
Where do you see data visualization going in the next year? How can companies use it to start conversations about their brand and products?
CGI recently teamed up with TopSprout, a Silicon Valley marketing start-up, to support their product launch marketing efforts for CA. Both of our agencies work with CA — CGI creating the interactive media and TopSprout providing the integral strategic pieces. Help TopSprout celebrate their 1 year anniversary by visiting their blog: http://topsprout.blogspot.com/
