Category: Working

1000heads: Boxing Clever

On my morning trawl of the internet this morning (on the search for awesome content to share over the newly awesome 1000heads Twitter feed), I came across this awesome video from HBO.

[contains mild swearing]

You’re forgiven if you don’t stick around for the whole thing; although compelling, if you’re no boxing fan then I doubt you’ll be that intrigued.

But, what amazes me is that HBO managed to get these two men in the same room for that amount of time. The ‘Face Off’ series is – to my surprise – nothing new. HBO have been pulling this off for some time now, but the best part is they’ve been posting them up on YouTube.

Yes!

At the time of writing the video only has 302 views but, with the world lining up to watch potentially the biggest fight of the year (and in spite of it weighing in at a hefty 12minutes), there is huge huge viral potential here. HBO have, unlike many other US-based media owners, allowed the clip to not only be embedded but also to be seen outside of the United States. With two weeks to go between now and the first ring of that bell, the build up is only just beginning and this video will fly.

“You don’t make a viral video, you can merely set the conditions and hope that something goes viral.”

HBO have a history of being fairly savvy online, their Twitter presences stretch far and wide and happily interact. One quick glance at the @HBOBoxing stream and you can see not only conversations with the fans, but also RTs of their content as well as that of their other flagship shows such as Game of Thrones.

This kind of social media integration cross-channel and cross-platform is exactly the kind of thing media producers, globally, should be implementing right now. HBO are clearly leading the way and one can only wonder what they might have lined up on Fight Night to help manage the huge global audience tuning in to watch Haye take on Klitschko.

Like X-Factor here in the UK and the Superbowl over in the US, this fight has the potential to create massive impact through social media both from an action/blow-by-blow standpoint but also from the perspective of potential advertisers.

It may seem silly to point it out, if you’re reading this you may even think that it goes without saying but – just in case – if you’re seriously lining up something for that ad space – like Yeo Valley before – do yourself a favour and think about social.

 

 

Big hat tip to Luca Massaro for finding the video first.

 

 

1000heads: Facebook facial recognition: do you care?

Today’s headlines:

The news is out this morning that literally overnight, Facebook has switched on facial recognition for tagging by default. Typically of the gargantuan social network, the onus is on the user to opt-out of this ‘upgrade’.

A few things on this -  first, for the super-private, here’s how to do just that –

Step 1.
From the Facebook ‘Home‘ page, go to ‘Account‘ and then ‘Privacy Settings‘

Step 2.
From there, scroll down to ‘Customise Settings‘

Step 3.
Scroll down again until you find a section entitled ‘Things others share‘

You’ll find the setting you need to adjust (it’ll be the one automatically switched to ‘enabled’) right next to the above section. Done that? Right. Good.

To my second, and leading point/question – do you actually care?

Yes it’s easy to get annoyed about Facebook not asking permission to switch this on, as well as automatically assigning you the default setting of ‘Yes, I want this’. However, surely if you’re not an idiot when it comes to privacy, you’ve already got a certain amount of barriers and settings in place that prevent unwanted friends and tags taking place, right?

Surely, if you’re smart with your photo tagging (and with your friend requests for that matter), this new feature (whisper it) actually makes life easier.

Yes, tagging your friends in photos is fun, but it can take ages. Having Facebook SUGGEST [yes – ‘suggest’ – not ‘automatically tag’] to YOUR FRIENDS that you might be in one of their photos really isn’t such a big deal.

Moreover, with marketeers increasingly looking for new ways to interact with your relationships, there might even actually be some room here for some real life, campaign-based innovation. Amazing.

So, for me at least, the question still stands: when it comes to Facebook’s new facial recognition, do you care?

Answers on a postcard (or in the comments below).

1000heads: The Museum of Me

This gorgeous, gorgeous piece of work from the smart chaps at Intel is one of the most perfect uses of the Facebook social graph API that I have ever seen.

Click through to the site, give up virtually all of your Facebook access privileges (we’ll come back to that one later) and just sit back and watch as Intel’s application accesses all of your photos, videos, friends, likes and links and displays them all in a glorious installation that even Getty would be proud of.

If you haven’t done this yet, click through and do it now. Once you’re done, come back again – we need to talk.

Right, welcome back. Done it yet? You have?
Perfect.

So exactly why is this beautiful application so damn good? Let’s explore further.

First, the sticking point: all those access points that the app demands.

I must admit that even I wavered there for a second.

Granting ‘access’ I have no problem with, it’s the ‘Post to my Wall’ part that niggles at me. But, forward you go – why? Because Intel aren’t some start-up off the street, nor are they a second rate newspaper looking for a quick way to proliferate their words and stories and, to be completely fair, if Intel do end up breaking my trust after I hit the ‘Allow’ button, so be it!  I can still go back in afterwards and disable their access, right?

And of course, let’s be totally clear here: the combination of all of the above along with the fact that perhaps, just maybe, after the clicking of agreement above I might have my very own ‘Museum of Me’, is more than enough to tempt even the most doubtful of Facebook users – the ol’ ego stroke; gets us every time.

Moving on, what makes the The Museum of Me so special in its delivery is that – through the API access you’ve granted above – it delicately creates a uniquely personalised and deeply personal journey through your social graph in a way that one might perhaps hope their life might be celebrated after they’re gone. Through pictures, screens, connections – they whole exhibition is dedicated to you and it could only really be totally appreciated for what it is by you.

Just enough virtual praise to be flattering, just enough branding to be quietly understood and, to top it all, just enough subtlety in the sharing functionality to entice you to push it out to your friends.

You pushed the like button – didn’t you?.

Speaking of which, at the time of writing the app has been liked just shy of 7800 times. 12hrs from now? When it’s gone viral, who knows what number it’ll hit.

For me, the great thing about this work is that the idea is simple, but the execution is flawless. I can’t show you how great it is, because my version wouldn’t work for you. You have to experience it for yourself. And that – in today’s world of mass information and constant personalisation – is definitely worth three minutes of your day.

Go to it.

The Museum of Me YOU awaits…

 

 

1000heads: Google v Microsoft; a question of ethics

On a recent trip around the web last week, I came across this old post by one Steven Hodgson writing for WinExtra –

He poses an interesting question: Why is it that what’s cool for Google is an ethical question for Microsoft?

Quote:

I remember when Google surprised everyone who was attending one of their conferences that had to do with Android with a free smartphone that had the current Android OS installed on it. They did the same thing when the Nexus was launched much to the delight of the attendees.

At no time when this was happening did anyone do anything but cheer Google on for coming up with a great marketing idea and ya it was a great idea.

Yet when Microsoft does the same thing like they did at their E3 event to announce the new Xbox 360 suddenly we have CrunchGear suggesting that there are ethical questions that we should be considering.

At 1000heads we adhere to a strict ethical policy across all engagements; be that through fostering relationships between brands and communities or simply through outreach and / or disruptive product trials – and it’s in this latter section that we come to Google v Microsoft.

I say it again: it’s an interesting dilemma and I consider the two examples to be slightly different; on one side you have a large global search/software company (dressed up as Android) trying to get its (at the time still relatively new) operating system into the homes of developers globally and on the other you’ve got a big gaming brand trying to make the biggest splash at the world’s largest electronic entertainment expo (E3).

Who’s in the right and who’s in the wrong?

Ethics are a constant discussion point here at 1000heads and I’m proud to say that ALL of our staff work hard (and often argue passionately) about what is right and what is wrong.

In the case of Microsoft v Google, where do you stand?

1000heads: Drum Marketing Awards: A Commendation

Good news this Friday, our SKINS team here at 1000heads last night received a commendation for their work on last year’s Tour de Velo campaign.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=14958820&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0

From the entry:

When international recovery and compression sports clothing brand SKINS wanted to replicate the grassroots loyalty they had secured in Australia and the USA in Europe, they knew that word of mouth chimed with both their early underground viral success and their ambitions to be a challenging and empowering brand.

Proving that with SKINS ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things, 1000heads discovered Quentin Field Boden – a 51 year old UK blogger and amateur road cyclist who had grand plans to ride the entire Tour De France route – and made his dream happen. While Quentin trialled SKINS’ new products by cycling the route three days before the professionals, uploading his experiences and engaging with cross-Channel sports communities along the way, a further set of influential cycling enthusiasts in the UK and Australia were sent SKINS products to trial at home through challenges that reflected the hardships of the Tour.

Spanning three countries simultaneously, Tour de Velo dramatically increased traffic to the international SKINS sites, generated high volumes of positive, independent WOM – and positioned SKINS as the company that promoted the voice of the ordinary fan amidst the saturated brand promotions at one of sport’s biggest events.

Congratulations team – a job well done!

1000heads: B2B and Social Media – #dellb2b

Last week 1000heads was invited to attend the B2B edition of ‘Social Media Huddle’ hosted by Dell, Google and For Immediate Release [FIR].
The networking event – the third in its series – takes the unconference route in its execution, whereby guests can create their own sessions for others to attend on the day. I’ve been to a few events like this in the past and it can make for a really interesting day as you never quite know what to expect until you arrive.

The #dellb2b event (to give it its proper twitter name) however, had a very specific aim of ‘bringing together senior communications and marketing professionals to exchange and share experiences on B2B social media for their mutual benefit’. Nice.

The big draw in this instance was guest speaker and internationally recognised thought-leader in the social space, Brian Solis.

Brian Solis @ #dellb2b

I’ve known Brian for a few years now but this is the first time I’ve heard him speak in the UK. A master of the soundbite, his talk was insightful and to the point. I’ll post the slides from the day in a second, but first  – here’s a snapshot from my notes and tweets for the day [including key quotes from the man himself] –

Brian Solis
James Whatley

“46% of B2B respondents said social media was perceived as irrelevant to their company”

“By not saying anything in social, you’re saying everything”

“B2B marketing spend will grow from $11m in 2009 to $54m in 2011”

“93% of business buyers believe all companies should have a social media presence”

So basically, what BS is saying is that, when it comes to B2B – believe it or not – you should apply the same rules of listening and engagement that you do to consumers – ie: You listen. You learn. You engage. You create.

“What is the ROI?”

“There is no ROI of social media programs.”
“However, there is definitely ROI for social media programs that are setup to do something”

Again. Not new. But a truism.

Some choice tweets?





All in all,  plenty of food for thought there, raising a number of issues that we’ll come back to another day.

If you’d like to listen to the presentation yourself, Nevile Hobson has kindly posted the audio version and it may well make an interesting accompaniment to Brian’s slides, embedded below.

Dell B2B Huddle UK with Brian Solis

View more presentations from Brian Solis

What do you think?
Interesting? Thought-provoking?
Your comments, as ever, are welcome in the field below –

1000heads: Happy Birthday Twitter

Five years old today –

I said recently that ‘Twitter isn’t the be all and end all‘ but after watching that, you might be tempted to believe otherwise.

Well done guys and happy birthday. Here’s to the next five/ten/fifty years of world-changing global communications.

Follow 1000heads on Twitter

Me and St. Pete

a parable for the envious

There are times in my life when I love my job, there are times in my life when I hate my job, there are times in my life when my job opens my eyes to something so freakingly awesome but no matter what happens, I can never tell anyone.

Friends ask me often if I enjoy what I do, whether I’ve seen anything cool lately and/or if I can tell them of anything I’ve seen – “Y’know, blogger to blogger?”

More often than not, I respond with the following – “It’s like the old joke…”

A preacher who liked to play golf every Wednesday at a modest public golf course was standing on the elevated tee at the sixth hole of that course...

He took a few practice swings, and looked across the river to the immaculate private country club nearby.

“Just once I’d like to play at that gorgeous course,” the preacher said to his foursome.

Another player spoke up:

“My company has a reserved tee time at that club for us every Sunday morning, and it’s all paid for, too. But all of a sudden yesterday the boss says we have to travel out of town for a week. It’s a shame to let that tee time go to waste. I could give you a guest pass and you could have it all to yourself. Would do you say?”

Of course this was a dream come true for the preacher, but it put him in a terrible predicament. If he accepted the gift, he would have to miss Sunday worship. He thought to himself,

“I haven’t missed a Sunday service in 17 years of preaching. A sin to be sure, but I am after all just a man trying to do my best like all the rest.”

He succumbed to temptation and accepted the invitation.

On Sunday, the preacher awoke, called his deacon, and said, “I’m terribly sick today, and will not be able to offer service.”

“Well, we surely hope you are feeling better soon,” said the deacon. “What matters most it that your health is blessed, and we shall all pray for you today.”

This made the preacher feel a little guilty, but it was a beautiful clear cool morning, and promised to be a beautiful day. He opened a box from under the bed that had a new folded golf shirt, his cleaned and polished golf shoes, and he put them on instead of his usual clothes.

Later, on the beautiful practice green, the preacher fit right in but couldn’t help feeling conspicuous. At that exact moment up in Heaven, Saint Peter was looking down. He said to God,

“Do you see what is happening down there? I’m very disappointed in this preacher. Surely you are going to do something?”

God replied, “Don’t worry Pete, I’ve got it all figured out.”

St. Pete knew it was best not to question any further, but to just wait patiently and watch for it all to play out. He watched the preacher walk confidently to the first tee, a short par-4. The preacher teed it up, and hit a pretty fair drive, low and straight.

But just then, God waived his hand and created the perfect little wind. The wind carried the ball as if in the hand of God and lifted it down the fairway. The ball took once bounce and landed on the green, kept rolling, swung to the right, barely crept up to the hole, and fell in. It was beautiful.

Up in heaven, St. Pete was very upset.

“An albatross! Are you kidding me? Here is one of our own preachers committing this sin, on a Sunday no less. Just when I’m certain that you are going to offer up the perfect punishment to befit the sin, you instead go and reward him with a once-in-a-lifetime shot?”

God says, “Yes, but calm down Pete. Who is he going to tell?”

I love my job.
I get to see the coolest things in the world before anyone ever will.
My eternal curse is that 99.99 times out of 100?
I’m never going to be able to tell anyone.
Damn.

.

.

.

Images via Paul Clarke

1000heads: Alert: The ASA CAP code

This afternoon, at the IAB’s ‘How to be safe and social‘ event, Malcolm Phillips from the Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) pointed out that if a brand retweets a message from a user, then that content will fall under the soon-to-be-enforced CAP code.

This tweet, from the awesome Tia Fisher, has been shared multiple times already and nails the reaction of the brands and agencies in the room perfectly –

And, as the industry steps back and wonders what shades of grey they stand in, when March 1st comes around, it’s going to make for some very interesting times indeed.

If you’re tuning in right now, you can follow the conversation by searching twitter for ‘#iabuk’ – failing that, with our employees holding memberships on the both the DMA and IAB social media councils, as well as the President for WOMMA UK under our roof, stay tuned how these interpretations play out over the coming months; both from a social media angle and also from a larger, more holistic, word of mouth perspective.

Finally, if you’re wondering what the hell we’re on about, this advert (from the ASA themselves) should give you a fair idea —
In Digital? Know about this yet?

For even more information, check out this post from our very own Molly Flatt from September last year

“How will the ASA’s extended remit affect word of mouth?”

Your comments, as ever, are welcome.

1000heads: Two #smwldn minutes (with Molly Flatt)

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Last night, chief word of mouth evangelist here at 1000heads, Molly Flatt, was asked to appear on the DMA Social Media Council’s panel for ‘Social Media, Direct Marketing and Making Money‘.

Covering off such areas as; where money can be made in social, the ethics of marketing in an online space, the new soon-to-be enforced ASA remit and also how to protect yourself legally when things go wrong – the panel was an informative and enlightening group that fielded questions from the chair, Justin Pearse, and the inquisitive audience in the room.

Molly will be back here later with her thoughts on this event (and a few others) but for now, here’s a two minute audioboo interview captured [by @thinmartian] with Miss Flatt, just after the panel came to an end…

Enjoy!

http://boos.audioboo.fm/swf/fullsize_player.swf

With two days of Social Media Week left to go, you can keep track of where our ‘heads are over the next couple of days with this handy blog post.

Until later…