MBTA signage now available for...wherever

via underground-signs.com

The MBTA has joined New York City's MTA as part of Underground Signs' inventory. Underground Signs is selling replicas of signs in all 270 MBTA stations. For a brand that's hurting, it's an opportunity for the MBTA to get some positive perception out there about their service and build on some of the ridership gains they've seen in the last year.

Posted via email from the minidisco

My day at Sonic Drive-In

On Wednesday, August 26, 2009, Sonic opened its first store in Massachusetts. Until then, the nearest Sonic had been 150 miles away in Kingston, NY. But for some reason it never stopped them from airing their commercials in the Boston area over the past few years. It always seemed like a questionable tactic -- lazy even -- to run ads in a market where your product doesn't even exist.  But then Sonic finally came to Massachusetts, and the customers came in droves. I was among them.

Going against everything I generally avoid -- fast food, chain restaurants, driving, suburbia -- I made a pilgrimmage to the Sonic in Peabody, MA. We went on Saturday, and despite being a few days late to the party, we found a long line of cars, with traffic re-routed to accomodate the rush, and waited for over an hour for the chance to eat fast food delivered to our car by servers on roller skates.

The line of cars felt like a tailgate, with people chanting and joking with other folks in the car line. As cars left Sonic, having triumphantly received their meal, they yelled to the people still waiting, "It's totally worth it!" without a hint of sarcasm. The line weaved past an empty Wendy's parking lot. We even sent someone in there to get some chicken nuggets for us while we waited in the Sonic line, knowing there would be no wait.

Eventually, we got our food, which I would rate as adequate. But it was the buzz that Sonic managed to generate that qualified their Massachusetts opening as a success. Here are my takeaways from the day.

TV advertising still works. Sonic's successful opening went contrary to all the talk that TV advertising is dying. Not only did their TV ads serve as the primary way to build the Sonic brand, they managed to drum up interest in a region where their product didn't even exist yet. Instead of frustrating consumers, it just got them more excited. It's a testament to an engaging brand.

People flock to experiences. Sonic is unique to any type of fast food experience that this region has.  When it comes down to it, the food isn't particularly unusual, but the menu (i.e. Tater Tots, Ocean Water) and drive-in restaurant experience is. People knew Sonic well enough to feel like they would be missing out on something by not going. And, like a good movie, they wanted to be in on the conversation.

Word of mouth trumps social media marketing. I had heard months ago via Facebook status updates that a Sonic would be opening, and that's how I heard it had officially opened as well. Until I started writing this post, I didn't even realize Sonic had a Facebook fan page (although I'm not surprised). Had they rolled out a larger social media push, would it have really mattered? Some buzz just lives on its own.

It's nice to have people seek you out. When I heard Sonic had officially opened, I actually couldn't confirm it. A Google search didn't reveal any stories or news reports that the restaurant had opened its doors. The Sonic website didn't either, and no official address was available -- although I knew the general area it was located in. (The Facebook page I just found today had announced it, apparently). Yet, people found out where Sonic was and went. Although, I would recommend actually providing addresses of newly-opened locations on your website, Sonic must have been pretty happy they didn't have to.

My conclusion isn't anything radical. Sonic is a unique, branded experience, and it's part of their success. Don't do everything the way it's supposed to be done, and you have done something different. Seems like a pretty basic concept, but for a lot of brands, it's not.

Viral marketing; then and now

Do you remember the first piece of viral communication you received?

Because I do -- well, the first, truly notable pieces anyway.  Sure, there were chain emails, quizzes and video attachments that found their way into my first email account on AOL. But there are two that stand out for me, and they were both a (relatively) long time ago.

1. "All Your Base Are Belong to Us." (2000-2002)

This video is still so awesome that I actually re-watch it on occasion. And when I make references to this meme, without fail, more people recognize the references than I ever intend. (Can you imagine a meme like this lasting a full two years?)

2. "Subservient Chicken" (~2005)

Although a few years after "All Your Base", Crispin, Porter + Bogulsky's project for Burger King ushered in a new era of marketing. It was the first time marketers recognized word of mouth as a marketing tool. And it was cheap. They rushed to make their own viral videos, with a few wins and more losses. The videos were creative, funny and maybe even non-PC.

So why didn't they take off?  Because those marketers were playing in a very different social climate. Today, a couple of clicks share content on Facebook and YouTube. RSS and twitter prolong the relevance of blog posts about your video or site.  The concept and belief in sharing has never been more accepted (and deemed essential) by marketers and now, there's a rush to get involved in the conversation.

As a result, the term "viral" has evolved.  Marketers no longer issue "viral" content.  They issue lightly branded entertainment or leak information through social media channels, hoping the word will spread through influencers.  This isn't a bad strategy...assuming the content is actually good.

Meanwhile, truly viral communications -- videos like the Dancing Man and JK Wedding Dance -- are organic successes.  The content is good enough that people want to share it.

As a marketer and communicator, it's easy to get caught up in the social media formula that everyone else is using. Converse with your customers and leads, ask for product feedback, give them a chance to participate, don't sell too hard.  But here's the problem: Conversation doesn't replace creativity.  If that's all you are bringing to your customers, it's a cop out.  Consumers don't respect an organization just for being nice and conversational, especially if it's just following the same formula as every other brand trying out social.  Consumers are still looking for creativity, because it reflects innovation, progress and leadership.

Before you start the conversation, you have to bring something to the table beyond just words and engagement.  To use an overused phrase, "talk is cheap."  Make sure you message or brand comes with a reason for people to talk back.

Breaking through the clutter with snail mail

(And, yes, I'm serious.)

A few weeks ago, I received the Ambassor Manifesto for the Maker's Mark Ambassador Club. (I had signed up about a month prior.)

I don't get much mail -- most of my bills and important things are sent to me electronically, and the rest is a minimal amount of junk mail. So when I received the Manifesto, it didn't have a lot of competition. I took a close look at the design and actually read through it. It has a rustic feel straight out of Kentucky, with language that makes you feel like part of an exclusive club. Honestly, though, it was the stock it was printed on I liked the most. It's one thing to see a well-branded item, but actually feeling it (in the tactile sense) adds to the experience.

So why did I find this so interesting and refreshing? Because I don't get a lot of mail anymore.  Email, Facebook, Twitter, banner ads, microsites -- almost all brands have gone digital.  My laptop receives more digital ads in a day than I receive by mail in a month.  That means an intriguing piece of snail mail stands out, because it is unique to receive a smart, tactile piece of branding.  (See Chris Brogan's and Joseph Jaffe's reactions after receiving pitches by snail mail).

Brands are always trying to break through the clutter, and one of the most cluttered spaces right now is digital media, where they are all fighting for your eyeballs on email, on their Facebook page, at their online community, and on and on.  So many have abandoned snail mail to the point that the medium has come full circle -- it actually FEELS unique when I receive something interesting from them in my mailbox.

As with digital, the rules of Permission Marketing still apply.  But once you have my permission, there's a lot less competition to get your message heard.

My Twitter follower word cloud

Word cloud created with TwitterSheep.

I'm a big believer in seeking inspiration outside of the realm I work in, and creating things that don't appeal specifically to that crowd.  It leads to richer, more interesting ideas.  So my goal for this word cloud is to make the big words smaller, the small words bigger and to constantly be adding new words to it.