The Marketing Week – 22/3/2013

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK Smirnoff – Mixhibit

Smirnoff wants to make its fans the star of their own short films. The vodka brand is trialling its ‘Mixhibit’ app that allows users to arrange content from all their social networks set to a custom soundtrack, which they can then share with friends.

It gives users full-control of how they capture their evenings as the drinks brand looks to mix things up compared with similar efforts from brands such as Lynx, which automatically created a real-time stream of users’ social media content from a night out in its Lynx Stream app.

Smirnoff is hoping the app can beef up its tech credentials following a major social media push last year that saw it crowdsource content from fans for the latest phase of its Nightlife project. The app launches this summer and the brand is working with global influencers to get the word out.

A GOOD WEEK FOR

The creative industries

The Chancellor’s Budget never fails to raise the hackles of a large proportion of the business world as well as consumers and this year was no different with its cuts to fuel and beer duty but not for wine and spirits. But this week’s Budget handed the creative industries, including the high-end television and animation and the visual effects sectors, a package of tax breaks designed to stimulate growth. George Osborne hopes the measures will demonstrate “Britain is open for business” and make the nation an attractive place for innovative SMEs.

A BAD WEEK FOR

Data

While data has been championed from every corner and big data hailed as the future of marketing by many, a panel of industry stalwarts at Advertising Week Europe including BBH founder Sir John Hegarty, Steve King, global CEO of ZenithOptimedia and RGA founder Bob Greenberg, warned marketers of becoming over-reliant on data. Hegarty was particularly scathing in his views on data dubbing the vast volumes of data collection ‘Orwellian’ and predicting a consumer backlash over initiatives such as Nike Fuel Band that collect large amounts of personal behaviour data.

INTERNATIONAL

Apple’s “cultural traction” in Western markets of US, Australia and the UK is matched by similar levels of favour for South Korea’s Samsung in Asian markets according to a study published this week at WPP’s insights team Added Value.

The global study of 62,000 people found that Apple dominates in terms of brand perception in the US, UK, Australia and Italy but globally Samsung’s brand perception is far more consistent ahead of Apple’s in all other markets surveyed.

China’s booming economy is seen as a potential lifeline to offset ailing European markets but the German Audi brand is proving a little too popular for the Chinese Central Government. 

The central government is reportedly pressuring bureaucrats to buy locally branded cars to help domestic automakers. The German motor manufacturer particularity is being fingered as one brand civil servants favour more than the government would like, according to a report in Ad Age China.

ONE TO WATCH

Google Keep
Perhaps in a bid to appease former Google Reader users upset the search giant is to axe its aggregator service, or perhaps a quest to take on the likes of Evernote and Pocket, Google Keep was launched this week.

The free app allows users to enter and store text, video and photos to Google’s servers for access later either from a smartphone, tablet or desktop.

The app has already gained a 4.5 star rating on Google Play and neat utilities such as colour-coding and the ability to turn notes in a checklist could help Google Keep become a valuable tool for marketers looking to keep notes at meetings on the move.

 

Dave Coplin – Microsoft chief envisioning officer.