Gorilla 76

11.23.09 From Sharon’s desk: Technology – embrace, admire, respect…use!

Technology is a part of our everyday lives. Case in point…you reading this…on a computer. Lucky for me, as I’ve grown older, technology has grown with me. Thus, making it that much easier to learn the new trends and become expert in them by the weekend. So really it should be no surprise that companies are becoming more dependent on technology and, as a result, need their employees to be skilled in the fields. It should be even less shocking that in the advertising world, a world that is accustom to staying ahead of the trends, that they have jumped in head first into the technology craze. I recently read an article by Emma Hall and Kunur Patel summing up the Creativity and Technology (CAT) Debut, the London Recap. It nicely summarizes how technology has woven its way into the world and how it’s nowhere near done.

According to a panelist of CAT, Yates Buckley, “If you are a creative and don’t know about technology, you’ll be out of a job soon”.  More and more people are turning to the Web to get their news. They’re “tweeting”. They’re using popular websites to connect with people. Which can be an advantage for advertisers (that’s right, an advantage – look beyond print!). If you’re not taking advantage of this great opportunity of a cheap way to reach your target audience, I’d suggest changing your ways. The great thing about using social networking, besides the value, is that people are choosing to “follow”, “become a fan”, or “like” your company or product. Your target audience is coming to you – it’s an advertiser’s dream. Of course, there are strategies and proper ways to use the mediums, but let’s leave that for another blog post.

As consumers turn to the Internet, their phones or any other form of technology that’s bound to come around, advertisers are going to have to be able use technology to their advantage. They might even have to change how they use technology. But what it really boils down to is being ready to embrace technology.

Thanks for reading

-Sharon

11.6.09 The fifth sense

We have five senses so it’s only natural that we use all them as often as we can. But, when it comes to marketing, it seems that one sense is left out time and time again: scent.

I recently read an article by Harald H. Vogt called “Don’t Turn Up Your Nose At Scent Marketing”, that posed the question – why have companies not branded their own signature scent? I mean, websites really couldn’t do anything in this field…well, not right away that is. So the most obvious question is why haven’t stores, products, or, even print advertisers utilized this sense?

Scent is something that helps trigger emotions and memories. How have we gone so long without thinking something like this would be useful in the marketing world? Some stores have done this, but unintentionally. For instance, a bookstore or a paint shop all have very distinct smells. So much so that when people smell it outside of that particular store, they are instantly brought back to the last memory of reading a book or rehabbing a room. And unless you are a stressful reader or a wound-up painter, these generally trigger other emotions of relaxation or creativity. Regardless of the emotion, unless it’s a bad one, the person is going to be reminded of store and maybe even be tempted to go back.

So brand managers, small-business owners, CMOs and whomevers – when are you going to complete your in-store sensorial experience? When are you going to cater to the sense of smell?

In this industry it’s all about taking risks; being innovative; trying new things. Who’s up to the new challenge? Maybe you’ll want to read up on it a little more. Go ahead and take a gander at Vogt’s article, and remember to smell the roses along the way.

Thanks for reading,

Sharon