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We are currently witnessing a shift of power from brands to consumers. Brands are no longer owned by large corporations, they start to
belong to consumers. It's already known as an immediate reality that a single person can almost make or break a brand by simply sending
an e-mail to his/her circle of friends. For example, in the case of Nike, it was enough for Jonah Peretti (an influent American journalist
and blogger) to publish the correspondence in which the company refused to personalize him a pair of sport shoes with the inscription
"sweatshop". This was the beginning of a media war that certainly had a negative impact upon one of the most important sportswear retailers
in the world. Meanwhile, Jonah Peretti became promoter for online guerilla marketing and consultant for P&G, Sony Pictures and other
important brands.
This is only the beginning and brands - especially the visionary ones - now have the chance to beat the trend at its own game.
The instruments and the strategies through which one brand could decline its authority towards the consumer are countless, from the
possibility of expression on an online forum to much more sophisticated and complex methods. One of the newly developed methods is
what marketing experts name trendsetter marketing.
Who is considered to be a trendsetter?
In order to explain this new marketing instrument, we must define the notion of trendsetter. Basically it can be translated
as trend initiator or dictator. Considering the example above, Jonah Peretti is a trendsetter, namely a person with great influence
and authority in a given domain, with access at a large social circle, capable of spreading his/her influence in quite different
fields. Trendsetters are well informed people, active in various domains, and the way their influence spreads is similar to the
principle of waves propagation. They are considered experts in their areas and their opinion can certainly influence the acquisition
process and decisions.
How to transform a trendsetter into a brand ambassador?
Trendsetter marketing identifies those influential, well connected people, creating brand experiences - designed specifically
for this type of audience - in the attempt to transform them into ambassadors of a certain brand. Also known as buzz marketing, this
relatively new technique, focuses on spreading the attributes and added value of a brand based on the trendsetters' influence.
Recent marketing studies indisputably show that brand experiences as well as the reputation of a brand throughout the consumers' social
sphere come first when faced with an acquisition decision. Trendsetter marketing combines the two tactics, creating well designed and
detailed experiences targeted towards persons who at their turn can spread the achieved information.
Experiences can vary from product testing or sampling to events of vast proportions.
Conclusion
Investing in a brand experience can be expensive. At the same time it is probably the most complex form of marketing communication,
generally requiring important resources - both financial and human - to address a limited number of persons. Nevertheless, the
advantages are undeniable in the actual postmodernist context. First of all, they arise from the fact that the audience of an event
is considerably more open to receive commercial messages. Then, through different techniques of interaction it offers the possibility
of a real time and complex feedback from the potential customer, thing impossible through classic advertising. When the selected
audience for this type of experience is part of those with high potential to disseminate messages towards a larger public, the efficiency
and the added value of the investment grow considerably.
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Lately, everything in marketing seems to have something to do with experience. Classic billboards are also afflicted by this trend.
But how can an outdoor become an experience? The following examples are pretty eloquent regarding creativity limits and boldness.
BMW New Zeeland invited some young artists to reinterpret the BMW outdoors in Auckland. The experience was called The Art Car Tour and
the passers-by had the chance to see the artists at work, live, on the streets.
In Rio Grande, in an Anti HIV campaign, billboards turned into contraceptive holders.
Adobe went further and placed in New York digital systems with movement sensors that once activated generated true art works.
And, in Italy, Nintendo Wii was promoted with ingenious use of pixel art made of post-its printed with messages. Passers-by were
invited to modify the drawings as they wanted, and while moving the post-its they were exposed to the brand messages.
The marketers' efforts to make their messages visible focus more and more on transforming every contact between an audience and
a brand into a memorable experience. These are signs that the marketing revolution is happening and we are curious to see in
which direction it will develop itself, especially in Romania.
In this regard, our team has in mind 3 experiential marketing concepts, addressed to 3 different communities of opinion leaders, destined
to innovate the local scene and set new standards.
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Since June 2007 the agency shares belong exclusively to the founder. Our culture and standards remain unchanged. A young team
of motivated consultants, with local and external experience, has entered the race for partnership.
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...it's the name of our new-born blog. We've made it possible because we have a lot to say... We share with you the funniest behind
the scenes stories (in this field, countless as you well imagine); opinions and ideas about what we most enjoy; every new discovery...
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Calling all trendsetters, trendspotters, globetrotters and creative minds of Generation C (no, not the Consumer Generation, the CONNECTED
one!)... Send us 99 text messages and 114 barcodes to P.O. BOX no. ...
Just kidding. We only want you to stop and imagine something... Imagine and write down what comes first to your mind when we mention the
following themes: mobile and digital lifestyles, contemporary urban mixtures of the 7 arts and visual identity in marketing.
What types of subjects, acts, workshops, decors, mechanisms and gadgets would you envisage when thinking of each one of these themes? More
than anything, we'd love to know what would make you really happy if you were to attend events dealing with these concepts.
Many of you have already given us wonderful insights, so we've decided it's time to reward the best. Each week, the best suggestion or
idea will be awarded a bottle of Moet Chandon champagne, a box of chocolates and free passes to this month's FB events.
So hurry up and join our spring promotion :) and do not forget to mention your delivery address. Winners will be announced on the blog.
(And no, do not attempt to bribe the Pink Panther :). She is incorruptible).
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