In a time and age where I can chose whether to listen to a brand or to read my friend's status update - how can a brand get my attention?
In my opinion it is all about big ideas

Isn't the big idea dead already?

Mark Earls believes that big ideas are dead, over used, and that we should focus on small tests and campaigns. However I am talking about differnt kind of big ideas. I am not talking about a short lived one time gig. I am talking about deeply rooted concept at the heart of the brand, that affects its dealing wiht customers, the product they build, and  the way they treat their customers.

What is a big idea?

Big ideas are concepts that beyond a product or one's daily life, that are more important than price or features. Big ideas are ones who change the way we look at life and society. Big ideas are ones that are powerful enough to make the man on the street listen to your message. A big idea is that one story that brings value to people - not only consumers.

In some cases brands are not openly stating their big idea. In some cases they don't even realize their big idea until the community, their users, tell them it exists.

Let's take Twitter for example. Twitter's big idea is communication without boundaries. This idea fueled the Iranian uprise, which in turn personified this idea. As stated before, it was a false hope in my opinion. Still it was amazing to see the energy that this idea brought to the community.

Canon and HDSLR are  another example. Canon released their 5D Mark II DSLR camera with the ability to shoot HD videos. This quickly materialized to another big idea - everybody can be a filmaker - now in an affordable way.

What isn't a big idea?

Well, the product itself. Features, without a wider context, are merely technical parameters. They don't improve ones life. Price is not a big idea - again, unless it is in a wider context, such as in the case of HDSLR cameras.

Also, Fun is not a big idea. Fresh is not a big idea. these are just awesome keywords for a brief. "Like" competitions are definitely not a big idea. Hiring "buzzers" is many things, big idea is not one of them.

The Time is Now

Modern western society is in a unique situation. World War II ended with the good guys wining. Communism lost the battle. Most of the western world is democratic, and relatively liberal from an economic point of view. Governments are losing their position as setters of big ideas. Yes, Obama most used word was change. But at the end of the day, nations are creating less and less big ideas that affect lives.

But people are still looking for bigger than life concepts and experiences. They want to feel that they are a part of something, something bigger than day to day life. They want to be excited!

Someone will fill the void. Brands and companies are the best candidates for that. They have the incentive and money to do it.

So what's your big idea?

Social media, sophisticated customers, and lack of control of the conversation are all pointing to the same direction - brands can't afford to be faceless. But now they also need a soul, a spirit and a person that people can relate to.

If in the past, brands could use anonymous models, with shiny teeth and great curves, to lure eyeballs, If in the past brands could use celebrity presenters as a pillar of emotional attachment, now things are different.

You see, when brands are involved in social media tools, they are exposing themselves. They can't afford not to be there, but their involvement make them more accessible. Their involvement in Twitter and such has one more effect - as people using Twitter in order to communicate with friends, when a brand is getting into their personal space they expect the brands to be, well, real.

But what's real?

People are real. Individuals in the companies that are representing the values and position of the organization. But they can't be just a front.

AT&T's Blogger ads, explaining why iPhone customers are facing network issues, could have been great several years ago. The ad shows an AT&T blogger who explains why there are network issues. But then people realized two important things:

1. This blogger doesn't have any authority to solve those problems. Meaning, he is nothing more that a glorified spokesperson with touch of social glare.

2. He isn't  even employed by AT&T

I am certain it would have worked better if C level AT&T guy had taken the stage.

Think - who is the true face of Apple? Is it the dude from "I'm a Mac" ads, or is it Steve Jobs?

Being real is tough. Really.

But brands can no longer hide behind fancy ads and shiny logos. They need a soul.

If they want to talk - they have to keep it real.

Another great post on this topic can be found here.

DJ Francis is reminding us why we are here

Huffington Post interviews Alex Bogusky about the future of advertisement. Yes. THE Alex Bogusky

Eyecube has an excellent piece about agency models

Erica Douglas written a post about lack of women in IT

And a list of 45 creative blog tag lines

Why ... do I take the time to use social media like Twitter and Facebook? .... Because there is no better way to engage the various audiences that are important in my professional and personal life.

...Your involvement in social media will grow your brand, strengthen the connection between you and your company's key audiences, and keep you aware of what's really happening with your business. It's well worth the time investment....

No, these are not the quotes of a social media consultant. Refreshingly, these are the words of a CMO of a well known company.

When I came across the interview of Jeffery Hayzlett, Kodak's CMO I was excited to see a top executive who is actually using social web for his work on a daily basis, without the usual huha around it. When asked about the root of his involvement in social media he said:

I first started using social media to keep in touch with family. I soon realized the benefits of updating my fellow employees, our customers, even the media and anyone else who wants to keep updated on what's happening with Kodak marketing.

When asked about authenticity of his online persona:

it's important that people hear from the real me. I've had people ask me if I do my own posts (I do -- you can't fake it with social media). I'm just a guy from South Dakota with a really cool job, so I can't help getting excited at some of the great things we do.

Many of my customers are asking about ROI. His answer:

We have seen very tangible returns from our participation in social media, including traditional media coverage, sales leads, increased customer consideration and direct product purchase.

And when talking about integration of social tools in their marketing operation:

Of course, social media is a part of Kodak's integrated-marketing approach and much of it is managed by employees like me with other full-time jobs

Not everyone were happy as I am when they read it. One commenter wrote:

Mr. Hayzlett might be better off spending less time twittering and blogging and working on comprehensive marketing plans aimed at addressing the critical failures of the past few years. Twitter is a tool, Jeff.

Though I agree with Jeffery in almost everything he wrote, his closing argument is a bit tricky:

Your involvement in social media will grow your brand, strengthen the connection between you and your company's key audiences, and keep you aware of what's really happening with your business. It's well worth the time investment.

I completely agree - but it works only if done right, as an integral part of overall marketing and company activities, by enthusiastic employees who love the social web and use it in their private life as well.

You can read the full article here.

Follow Jeffery Hayzlett and me on Twitter

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Corporate blogging is increasingly becoming a low cost alternative to traditional marketing tools. However, many projects fail, due to lack of understanding of the medium.

What are the 4 key steps for a successful corporate blogging project?

1. Management support- corporate blogging, unlike search engine marketing, doesn't lead instantly to direct purchase of services. It also requires time and effort from the key people in the organization - usually the brightest are the ones who are interesting to read. Therefore, top management should support the corporate blogging initiative, or it will lose steam and fail.

2. An evangelist - in every company there is a person who s passionate about writing, blogging or social media in general. This is the person that will push the effort internally - and it is very important to give him/her incentives and support. Did I mention Management support?

3. Commitment - social media activities, including blogging, take time to take off and provide tangible results. They are also increase their value over time, as more people are exposed to the blog, write comments and become part of the interaction with the company.

4. Integration with traditional marketing efforts - in case your corporate blog is for marketing purposes - integrate it with your overall marketing program. This way you increase the overall value of both your blog and your traditional marketing activities.