This week I became a sponsor.

That’s right, I’m now officially one of the moneymen. With a few clicks online, my place was secured as a backer of Wish I Was Here, the Kickstarter-funded movie from Scrubs star, Zach Braff. With a site target of $2 million, this is no small Kickstarter project, but in the scale of Hollywood productions is undeniably at the indie end of the spectrum – more in line with Braff’s debut writer-director-star feature, Garden State, than, say, his last starring role in Oz the Great and Powerful.

And that’s no bad thing. Garden State was a gem of a film: an intimate story framed by some memorable cinematography and a soundtrack that brought a whole new audience to the likes of The Shins, Colin Hay and Frou-Frou.

In a smart move by the team behind the appeal (the script was co-written by Zach and Adam, the brothers Braff), the investor rewards have nodded to their talent for selecting music that really connects with film and fans: for my $20 pledge I’ll receive regular picks from the proposed soundtrack, streamed direct to my computer. Other rewards for those with deeper pockets include tickets to the première (where you can sit next to Braff himself), the chance to name a character or even to have a part in the final movie. It’s a well-constructed page – earnest, honest and funny – but moreover it features a cracker of an appeal video from Zach and pals.

The social buzz around it has made interesting viewing: I pledged my cash in the first $100k group and was amazed to see the gentle rumble of momentum (not to mention *ching* of cash registers) as Braff’s A-list friends, James Franco, Michael J Fox and Courtney Cox, all brought their weight – and, importantly, Twitter followings – to bear.

Before the first day was out, the page had already raised $725,000, and, at time of writing is up to $1.7 million. Not bad in just over 48 hours. There’s bound to be a natural plateauing of investment over the coming week, but with 28 days still to go, it’s likely that the fundraising will exceed all expectations – not uncommon for popular projects on the site.

Empire Magazine tweeted about the appeal, though, for a publication that was a 4-star fan of Braff’s first feature, appeared surprisingly indifferent to the project. Similarly, I was rather surprised by the number of “Why doesn’t he fund it from the $millions he made from Scrubs?” tweetbacks and replies. It was good to see a subsequent interview with Mr Braff on Empire Online by Ali Plumb that gave a little more colour to the story, along with a number of comments defending the film-maker’s right to use this medium to secure funding for his movie.

Let’s be honest, whatever Zach Braff makes through this online appeal is unlikely to be the end of the story; I’ve already described how the Kickstarter model has been used by entrepreneurial souls to demonstrate to the slippery big fish out there that a passionate market exists to support any given product/project/person. It’s highly improbable that there isn’t therefore some form of match-funding scheduled once Zach makes his first $2m – and I can’t believe that this won’t include financial investment from the man himself. The criticism just seems a little unfounded. And it’s not like he’s trying to make Independence Day 2. Although that might be quite fun to watch…

Irrespective of the project, I don’t think that it’s fair to criticise anyone for using Kickstarter to get their dream off the ground – famous or otherwise: in the end any project will live or die on the idea at its very heart. If it’s not compelling or realistic enough to make people part with the requisite cash, then they’ll be part of the 43% of Kickstarters that don’t make it.

Having ‘established’ industry people using the platform may offer would-be investors a greater level of confidence in the quality of the finished article, or even just provide a project talisman to believe in – especially important after 84% of projects funded in 2012 ended up being delivered late. As long as the justification for not using traditional funding mechanisms feels appropriate to you, then what’s the problem?

And if you’re really not comfortable with a millionaire asking for your money then just don’t donate.

Sponsorship was born out of patronage in Ancient Greece more than 2,000 years ago – crowd-funding has simply reduced the reliance on finding that mythical single backer. More importantly, it has demonstrated that this collective power can achieve something greater than the sum of each individual contribution: together we can create synergy.

(There, I finally got that word into a blog.)

By Jonathan Izzard on April 25th, 2013

Tags: Blogging, Celebrity, Default, Digital marketing, Film

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Across the pond, college sport is big business. According to Kantar Media research, the NCAA college basketball tournament, or ‘March Madness’ as it is more commonly known, has now overtaken the NFL Playoffs to become the most lucrative US post-season sport property for advertisers.

As such, there is a real onus on sponsors to produce unique and engaging campaigns in order to stand out from the crowd and deliver a return on what would no doubt have been a sizeable investment.

At this year’s tournament, telecommunications provider AT&T have managed to do so by using the @MarchMadness feed to bring real-time video highlights to the fans.

While this may not seem like such an exciting development, drilling down deeper into the mechanics of the service reveals how this opportunity could lead to a revolution in how rights holders, broadcasters and sponsors can collaborate to leverage branded content on Twitter.

What Happened

Turner, the official tournament broadcaster, have partnered with Twitter and quick-share video start-up SnappyTV to bring fans 15-second highlight clips of key plays via embedded video Tweets. Content is selected in real-time by Turner’s social media team, who use a combination of human judgement and SnappyTV’s social media monitoring software to track the most talked about moments in the game. In less than a minute, the relevant clip can be posted online for people to view and share with their friends. This example from Florida Gulf Coast’s improbable run to the round of sixteen shows the technology in action, and the ensuing Twitter conversation around highlight plays.

(Unfortunately, clips are geo-blocked to the US only but AT&T’s pre-roll can be viewed regardless of location. Refresh the page if you missed it!)

Real-time highlight: FGCU with a monster dunk to take a two point lead.#marchmadness – snpy.tv/15IScCG

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 24, 2013

While this technology isn’t new (it was used in last year’s tournament by Turner), this year is the first time that sponsors have partnered with Twitter to bring these clips to fans via a short pre-roll ad with embedded video content.

Why we love it

In the past year, Twitter has invested significantly in figuring out the tricky task of how to make money from the social conversation around live TV. Snappy TV’s video highlight service has given sponsors, such as AT&T, the chance to emotionally link their brand with high-stakes knockout tournament basketball, and the thrills and spills that this entails.

AT&T have also understood the demand for fast, shareable content and utilised the technology available from SnappyTV and Twitter to create a seamless user experience, where video content can be accessed without the need to click on an external link. This ease of use has enabled users to easily retweet and share highlights with their friends, thus giving AT&T the additional benefit of being seen favourably by the consumer as the provider of their chosen video highlight.

For the broadcaster, advertising opportunities around sponsored video highlights can mean additional revenue streams as sponsors increasingly wise-up to the benefits of supplying eminently sharable content to an already engaged and passionate fanbase.

While this technology is still in its relative infancy, the growth potential in this medium is significant. Current reports project Twitter’s ad revenues will reach the $1bn mark by 2014, with the most significant growth projected to occur in the mobile sector. With this in mind, it will be interesting to see how many brands will follow AT&T’s example and embrace the potential of second screen advertising.

By Robin Ooi on April 4th, 2013

Tags: Basketball, Blogging, Branded content, Digital marketing, Mobile, Social Media, Sponsorship Activation, Sport, Synergy Loves, Twitter

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By Oli Richards on February 1st, 2013

Tags: Athletics, Blogging, BMW, Brand marketing, Branded content, Brazil 2014, Broadcast sponsorship, Commonwealth Games, Communications, Consultancy, Content, Cricket, Digital marketing, Engine, Football, Football Sponsorship, Glasgow 2014, grass roots sport, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Manchester United, Olympic sponsorship, Olympics, PR, Public relations, RBS 6 Nations, Rugby, Rugby World Cup, Ryder Cup, Sponsorship, Synergy

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How much should you pay for a ticket to a football match or gig? In the past, the answer would have been simple: whatever the seller sees fit to charge you. However, the act of a company, brand or team selling access to their assets has developed substantially in recent years. Slapping a one size fits all price on an asset (and hoping for the best) is no longer an appropriate concept in this social era of consumer choice, and various companies, sports teams and bands are recognising this.

But the point isn’t just that ticketing is changing to absorb changes in consumer behaviour – it is fundamentally being driven by business priorities. In recent times, there has been a steady increase in pioneering pricing strategies, honesty payments and social media-influenced purchases, as parties in the sports and entertainment industries look for ways of maximising revenue through innovation. In industries such as live sport or music, with large fixed costs driving a high minimum cost per match or event, these innovative pricing strategies can represent a win-win for consumers and companies alike.

The Digonex pricing strategy is one approach that is spreading through American sport, and is beginning to be adopted by British sports teams. Described catchily as a ‘fan driven pricing system for event ticketing that scientifically changes prices based upon econometric and behavioural principles’, the system allows for ticket prices to be changed daily depending on market conditions. Similar to booking a flight or ticket to the theatre, the system allows for the flexibility to alter prices for every game dependent on demand.

Following a drop in attendances, brought on by collective belt tightening across their fanbase, Derby County were the first British sports team to test this pricing strategy. Having received special dispensation from the FA (usually clubs can only alter prices for four games per season), it is already proving a success, with attendances noticeably on the up. Tickets for all games are made available at the beginning of the season, meaning sensible Rams fans can book their tickets for big matches in advance to save them purchasing a more expensive ticket closer to the game. In order to appease season ticket holders, Derby have also ensured that ticket prices never drop to a price that would represent better value than a season ticket.

Cardiff have followed in Derby’s footsteps by adopting Digonex and Bristol City are soon to follow. Two Premiership rugby clubs are reported to be close to adoption of the system and the spread is expected to continue to major European sports teams. And why wouldn’t it? When fans can get cheaper tickets, and clubs can benefit from larger attendances and higher revenue on seats that would otherwise have been completely empty, everybody wins.

More recent examples are ‘pay what you want’ schemes for specific matches, dreamt up as a response to tricky economic circumstances and dropping attendances. Mansfield Town saw a doubling of their attendance when adopting the scheme for a game in 2010 and Brentford FC are running a similar promotion for a match against Stevenage in February.  Supporters are able to pay whatever they want to for a ticket for the match (over £1) and 50% of any excess over £5 will be passed on to the ‘Sport Relief’ charity. In all these cases, the point is that the tickets would otherwise remain unsold – with no revenue to the club and no bums on seats. With minimal costs to the club involved in hosting an extra fan, this will boost club revenue and help fans out during tricky economic times – while also possibly introducing new fans to the club and generating goodwill through the donation to charity.

These innovative pricing schemes aren’t all just about direct impact on revenue though. Over recent years, there has also been an increase in one-off sales schemes by sports teams and bands as a way of reaching new audiences and/or showing themselves in a positive light. Most famously, Radiohead made a bold move by relying on ‘honesty payments’ for their ‘In Rainbows’ albums in 2007. Denounced and praised in equal measure, opinions differ on whether that move was a financial success. It is clear that money was not the primary driving force behind the idea, and similar moves have become increasingly prevalent around sports.

The evolution of social media is also having an effect on ticketing, with AEG, Malaysia Airlines and KLM examples of brands leading the way with inventive schemes. As an attempt to take on Ticketmaster, AEG have introduced their innovative ‘AXS’ ticketing service. As well as making life difficult for touts by seeking out automated servers purchasing large numbers of tickets, they have introduced a system that allows purchasers to reserve adjacent tickets for friends through Facebook for concerts, shows and other events. Alerted by Facebook, these friends have 48 hours to purchase these tickets knowing that they will be sat next to their mates. Again, it looks like everybody wins. Fans will have a better time sitting next to their mates (and not having to shell out on their friends’ tickets with the inevitable sluggish paying back process) and companies have a happier crowd. This may not directly impact on revenue, but it is likely to have an indirect effect on consumer morale.

Malaysia Airlines and KLM have gone one step further by attempting to socialise the art of booking and taking a flight. When booking a flight, users are reminded of friends who live close to their destination and informed of any friends who may be making a similar journey. Users also have the opportunity to share their itinerary, and through the seat selection process, are able to select seats next to Facebook friends.  This clearly comes with a few privacy/stalking implications but the concept feels like a landmark step forward.

Why are these ideas on the increase? In each of these cases, the innovation behind the schemes opens doors to opportunities that benefit each of the stakeholders in the exchange. With Digonex, previously unsold tickets are more likely to be taken up, satisfying fans and helping the club put bums on seats. In a similar manner, the schemes by Malaysia Airlines and KLM give the airlines unique selling points, and the flying experience is enhanced for those making the journey. With the subject of rising ticket prices forcing itself towards the top of the sporting and entertainment agendas, this sort of innovative use of assets can help to maintain and develop healthy relationships between purchaser and seller.

By Rob Guppy on January 31st, 2013

Tags: Advertising, Aviation, Barclays Premier League, Blogging, Charity, Default, Event management service, Facebook, Football, PR, Public relations, Social Media, Sport, Travel

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We have WiFi on our trains, our buses, in our cafés and bars and even across the underground network– but why is it still not commonplace across our sports stadia?

Most clubs and sporting bodies will boldly claim the importance of social media as a platform with which to engage their fans and will often boast record numbers of ‘Followers’ and ‘Likes’, along with gains in emerging markets. Yet strangely, very few have recognised the potential commercial value of having a ‘connected’ stadium  to improve the match day experience for both those attending and, perhaps more significantly, for those that are not through the sharing of content that this enables.

I recently attended a seminar on the changing habits of sports viewing where one of the panel, a senior marketing figure at a Premier League club, claimed that there was no need for WiFi in a football stadium, as he didn’t feel that fans had the dwell time within a match to update social media sites or consume additional content. I couldn’t disagree more.

On a matchday, 3G networks are over-burdened with people trying to access the internet via a mobile devices, making progress painfully slow- the modern digital-savvy customer neither expects nor is willing to wait. Like it or not, we live in a world where people share almost every facet of their lives in real-time and expect content to be available to them – free of charge – whenever they want it. Conversations, both online and offline, are driven by people’s passion…and there are few more passionate than your average sports fan.

These people want to share photos, videos and opinions and they want to do it as the action unfolds. This wealth of crowd-sourced content is  not constrained by the confines  of the stadium – it is consumed by fans in all corners of the globe. Its power lies in the affinity that exists between fans: it is the reason we read sports blogs and the reason that we follow complete strangers on Twitter – we often value its honesty more than any communication  by a club via more formal channels.

For the club and its sponsors this opens up a world of opportunities – limited only by the imagination of the marketer. Think digital programmes, live match stats, pre-match press conferences, competitions, live betting offers and more. Want to pre-order and pay for your half time beer? It’s all possible.

At its most basic, increasing the quality and frequency of your social media output will increase your reach, which (putting a commercial hat on) can only make you a more commercially attractive entity. Monetising your fanbase is no longer just about selling season tickets and shirts, it’s about growing  your reach within a given market to demonstrate your standing and influence to potential commercial partners.

This is not to say that there is not a handful of players out there that are doing it well. The Rugby Football Union has recently signed a partnership to make Twickenham the most digitally advanced stadium in Europe. This is starting with the installation of an ‘LED fan-engagement and advertising system’ which will “boost interaction and engagement with the crowd” by displaying fan messages of support. Meanwhile,  Real Madrid and Barcelona have signed deals with Cisco Systems and Telefonica respectively, in order to provide hi-density WiFi networks – two deals which are likely to be largely value in kind.

While the pace of uptake has been somewhat surprising, I have little doubt that it will eventually play a significant role in the way that we interact with live sport.  The question is how will sponsors take advantage?

By Tom Whiteside on November 27th, 2012

Tags: Advertising, Blogging, Brand marketing, Branded content, Communications, Consultancy, Default, Facebook, Football, Football Sponsorship, Media, Mobile, Social Media, Sponsorship, Sponsorship consultancy, Synergy, Twitter, YouTube

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What happened?

Have you ever found yourself shouting at your TV whilst watching a football match alone? Or, if you’re like me, watching Made in Chelsea and yearning to gab with your girlfriends about Millie’s awful outfit? If this sounds familiar, then you need to hear about zeebox.

Zeebox is a new company that’s dedicated to improving your television experience by amalgamating the power of the internet with your TV, all whilst enabling you to socialise with your friends. The notion behind the innovation is to create a more engaging TV-viewing experience, whilst incorporating a new social media aspect to an often lonesome activity.

The zeebox team, based in London, have created a free app that can be connected with your TV via your laptop, iPhone, iPad or Android smartphone. Zeebox can also be used as a social tool by instantaneously providing you with information on what your friends are watching and what shows are the most popular, in real-time. It’s the perfect combination of leisure and entertainment.

The revolutionary aspect of the zeebox is that by simply inviting your friends to join you, it enables you to share content with them, and can chat about programmes together while you watch them. Zeebox is also integrated with Twitter, so you can keep your followers up-to-date as you watch.

As you watch your favourite shows and films, zeebox recognises references to people, places and topics, and puts them up as keyword tags, or “zeetags”, on your screen. All you have to do is click on the zeetag and the machine brings up search results on Wikipedia, Google, or anywhere else on the web. Plus, if your TV is connected to the internet, zeebox can also act as your remote control.

To top it all off, you can also identify products that are related to what you’re watching and purchase them immediately online. This enables viewers to shop in real-time and increases the relevence of product placement in movies and television shows.

This short video from the company founders shows this clever TV sidekick in action.

Why we like it

Zeebox’s integrated social features enable the user to do an impressive number of social and technological tasks, easily and efficiently. By pulling in content on the spot from the internet, zeebox instantly provides you with a vast amount of information that’s easy to navigate. Thanks to this connected portal of information, zeebox is expected to become part of the standard TV-viewing experience in the not-so-distant future – hence why BSkyB decided to take a 10% stake in the company at the beginning of this year.

So, if zeebox is to lead the way for the companion app revolution in TV, and connected TV lives up to its expectations, then TV viewing will never be the same. It is incredibly important for brands to take note of this, as the implications are wide-reaching. The usual television advertisement will lose its relevance and brands will have to move to a more product placement and ad-funded programming orientated strategy to ensure their products get the desired cut-through. This is very exciting, as we will start to move from passive TV consumption to a more active experience in which brands can play an important role.

This, together with the seamless combination of rich information and social channels in one place, brings a sense of excitement that the way we consume television is about to change forever, and that zeebox is one of the catalysts for this change.

And the best part about it: it’s available now.

By Synergy on May 31st, 2012

Tags: Blogging, Branded content, Communications, Content, Digital marketing, Facebook, Media, Mobile, Online communities, Social Media, Synergy Loves, Viral Marketing, YouTube

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Think of any brand associated with an athlete, and in most cases the brand will have approached the athlete as a result of the athlete’s brand/consumer fit and will be paying them a hefty sponsorship fee in return for a number of rights.

In “What We Love” this month though, we explore a brand who took a much more innovative and engaging approach to sponsorship by inviting a number of athletes to compete for a sponsorship contract, with their consumers ultimately choosing the winning athlete.

So who is the brand and what did they do?

In March this year, Sony Ericsson – a long time supporter of women’s tennis – launched a new format entertainment show, “Xperia Hotshots,” which followed the lives of six globetrotting, aspiring stars of the WTA, all of whom were competing for a sponsorship contract from Sony Ericsson.

The competition centred around the online buzz each tennis star could generate for themselves, with the player receiving the most number of votes on the official Sony Ericsson Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/xperiahotshots) receiving €100,000 of support from the brand.

In order to help with the challenge, Sony Ericsson gave the players exclusive access to major music, film and fashion events as they toured the globe playing tennis. The players were also able to use their own stardom and contacts to aid them in generating the most interesting content, as long as it was shared via social network sites using the Xperia handsets that were given to the stars.

As an extra incentive for fans to get involved and follow the series, all of those who “Liked” the ‘Hotshots’ Facebook page were also entered into a prize draw to win tickets to the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami

Over the course of the campaign, which ended on 5 September and was won by Wimbledon Semi-Finalist Sabine Lisicki, the competition generated huge awareness for Sony Ericsson including 820,000 friends on Facebook; 3 Million video views on YouTube; 100,000 mobile app downloads; 1,200 pieces of media coverage; 70 videos produced; and 530 hours of footage shot.

Why we love it

We love this campaign here at Synergy for several reasons. Firstly, by prescribing that the players must use their Sony Ericsson Xperia Android touch smartphones to communicate with their fans through Social media, Sony Ericsson were able to showcase the product’s unique features in real life situations, thereby providing consumers with a much better understanding of its unique selling points, benefits and potential usage occasions.

Secondly, by focusing on the use of the phone for entertainment purposes and social media (as opposed to purely a communication device) the perception of Sony Ericsson as THE communication entertainment brand was greatly enhance.

Thirdly, by engaging fans in the athlete selection process, Sony Ericsson were able to generate a much deeper bond between their potential consumers and the ultimate Ambassador than if the athlete were contracted behind closed doors, and fans who engaged in the voting process are now more likely to follow that athlete going forwards than if the athlete had been selected on the basis of whom the marketers thought would offer the best brand/consumer fit.

Finally, by profiling six players, Sony Ericsson very cleverly linked themselves to all of these world-class athletes when they only contracted one; six great brand endorsements for the price one . . . not bad going!

By Synergy on October 13th, 2011

Tags: Blogging, Brand marketing, Celebrity, Communications, Default, Facebook, Media, Mobile, Online communities, Sponsorship, Sport, Synergy Loves, Synopsis, Tennis, Viral Marketing, YouTube

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What happened

Tourism Toronto and Tourisme Montreal have erected “The Cheating Wall” as their newest campaign to promote tourism between the rival major Canadian cities.  The new marketing programme, developed by Crispin Porter + Bogusky Canada, is encouraging residents of the two cities to have a summer fling with one another.

The Cheating Wall consists of separate HD video panels, located in high-profile locations in the two cities. Each wall is equipped with its own camera, microphone, sensor and speaker, enabling residents of each city to engage in live video chats and participate in a series of scheduled events, in real time.

The insight behind the creative concept is driven by the long-standing rivalry between the two cities, which is driven by the two cities’ statuses as Canadian business hubs and, of course, the rivalry between the two ice hockey teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens.  It has resulted in a common perception that any visit to Montreal or Toronto is viewed as a ‘betrayal’ of your home city.

The Cheating Wall has been installed in the TIFF Bell Lightbox in downtown Toronto, and at 350 de Maisonneuve Boulevard in Montreal. The live interactive portals are open for live chats between 6am and 2am, and also host a number of live events such as “Tai Chi at the Wall” and “Street Magic”, as well as fashion and comedy shows, amongst numerous others.

The campaign is also available to view online at TheCheatingwall.com, and TrompeTaVilleMuramur.com, both of which link to Facebook pages where visitors can win flights to the respective cities, courtesy of Air Canada.  Participants are encouraged to share their experiences on Twitter, using the hashtags #cheatingwall and #trompetaville.

The initiative is being supported by transit shelter and poster ads in Zoom Media’s resto-bar network, which feature QR codes that take users to the Cheating Wall’s Facebook pages.

Why we like it

This live interactive portal provides a new and innovative way of promoting tourism. Rather than the typical tourism campaigns involving scenic landscapes and cheesy poses, this avant-garde campaign gives the users a corporeal, almost voyeuristic look into the lives of the other city.

By engaging the consumers and actually tapping into their personal interests, rather than forcing them to withstand a corny commercial or print ad, The Cheating Wall brings a whole new meaning to conventional advertising.

With its catchy and risque name, visual appeal, interactivity, enticing social media incorporation, and its ability to feed the voyeuristic tendencies of our contemporary world, this is the tourist campaign of the future. The annihilation of time and space gives us a live window into these two cities.

What the brand says

“We wanted to work on improving the travel between the two destinations,” said Tanya Churchmuch, assistant director, international relations at Tourisme Montreal.

“We wanted to remind people that there are two amazing destinations that are very different from each other and offer extremely different things to do, but are very close and very cool cities. You don’t have to go thousands of miles away to have a great experience.”

Let’s hope other cities think it’s as great as we do.

By Synergy on September 1st, 2011

Tags: Blogging, Communications, community, Content, Default, Facebook, Synergy, Synergy Loves, Synopsis

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What happened?

It would be remiss of us to ignore the social disturbance, unrest and rioting that wreaked havoc on the streets of London and around Britain in early August. What really struck a chord with us here at Synergy was the response of local communities to counter the destruction and rally together,  specifically the role social media played in doing so.

Everyone will be au fait with images of Clapham’s broom wielding army lead by Commander-in-Chief, one B. Johnson, who set about cleaning up their local neighbourhood the day after the carnage. Organised by the very same social media sites that were at the heart of spreading the riots, communities gathered first virtually and then physically to start the clean up. Check out Jam’s infographic on the buzz created around the riots and the call for social change.

One of Engine’s other companies, Partners Andrews Aldridge, started a campaign called De-Loot London. Their mission was to make sure that not a single shop that was looted during the riots was forced to close as a result. By setting up a website with an interactive map, people can highlight local shops that most need their community’s support. Embracing the power of social media they established the #delootlondon hash tag for people to share amongst their friends.

Why we liked it?

Firstly they acted fast, the campaign was up and moving within days of the looters running riot. This allowed people to act quickly and really feel as though they could make a difference to their local community.

Secondly, social media was at the heart of the campaign and provided the online community with a mechanism to make a difference to their own physical communities.   Brands often talk about building a community of advocates, fans or followers and this campaign tapped into a passion point. It turns out that people are passionate about keeping local businesses afloat in the face of adversity.

Thirdly, it was philanthropic, and after fear and uncertainty spread across London it reassured the population that good people are out there…and there are lots of us!

Finally, the riots may not be headline news any more, but local communities will need long term support. De-Loot London already has 1,900 Facebook fans, so keep the campaign going by sharing your support here.

By Caroline Ayling on September 1st, 2011

Tags: Blogging, Default, Social Media, Synergy, Synergy Loves, Synopsis, Twitter, Viral Marketing, YouTube

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Oakley‘s immersion into athletic eye wear began in 1980, when the company released its first model of motorcycle goggles. Dubbed the “O-Frame,” the goggle consisted of an arced cylindrical lens that would eventually become the brand’s hallmark. Over the last 30 years, Oakley has been awarded more than 600 patents and developed, through strategic sponsorship, enviable relationships with sport’s elite.

The first professional athlete to be sponsored by Oakley was the three-time winner of the Tour de France, Greg LeMond, in 1984. Since then, Oakley has sponsored a diverse range of leading sportspeople. The most notable of which, Lance Armstrong, has been with the brand since 1988. Here he is in the current Oakley Rebellion campaign.

In the Rebellion campaign, Oakley positions itself as a brand that is built on being against the status quo, against conventional thinking and against underachieving. It is this attitude that Oakley looks to share with its athletes so as to emphasise the credibility of this positioning.

To dovetail this Rebellion campaign, Oakley Europe has kept innovation at the forefront of their mind by launching its ‘You Vs’ digital campaign. The goal of this innovative social media campaign is to build Oakley’s European Facebook community while creating awareness about the Oakley athletes. We think it’s been done brilliantly!

What happened?

‘You Vs’ takes viewers inside the world of professional sport by putting ‘you’ against the Oakley pro athlete. The videos, which viewers are directed to after ‘liking’ Oakley on Facebook, have been filmed in a point-of-view style and allows viewers to compete against the athlete. The fact that the film plays through Facebook, ensures each viewer enjoys a personalized experience with their name and profile pictures appearing at key narrative points. This personal touch creates a sense of individuality and elitism that resonates strongly with Oakley.

The first experience has been created with world champion cyclist Mark Cavendish. In this challenge the user gets to race against Mark through Italy’s beautiful Tuscan hills. The interactive film allows the viewer to make ‘live’ decisions that affect the outcome of the race, from how to take corners to when to start the final sprint.

Oakley eyewear is also integrated into the decision-making, allowing fans to select different lenses at the start of the challenge and custom-build a pair of frames at the end of the experience, bringing them closer to the world of professional sportsmen.

Other experiences will be released over the next six months with Oakley athletes including Kevin Pieterson, Ian Poulter, Janko Tipsarevic and Sebastien Loeb. These videos will be timed to coincide with major sporting events, having started with Mark Cavendish and the Tour de France.

Why we like it

We like the ‘You Vs’ digital campaign because it gives us the chance to challenge some of the world best sportsmen. More importantly, it offers us insight into the key decisions that athletes are continuously making when competing. It is these decisions that end up separating first and second place, but it is very seldom that fans are exposed to the stragic side of sport. This campaign by Oakley now enables the everyday athlete, who is usually constricted to shouting ‘advice’ at their TV, the opportunity to experience competing against the world’s elite and making those all important decisions.

Oakley has planned the release of the films to coincide with high profile sporting events throughout the year. This has been done to encourage long term engagement and to allow fans from a particular sport to discover and develop an interest in other Oakley athletes.

This, together with the great cinematography, has produced an exciting campaign that has the potential to be shared by many on Facebook. As the campaign gathers momentum, so too will Oakley’s digital presence in Europe.

What the brand says

Tom Cartmale, marketing director for Oakley UK, commented: ‘As a technology driven brand Oakley has always invested in digital media and looked at new ways of engaging social media communities’. He continued to say, ‘Our aim is to create immersive brand experiences that engage a wide audience of sports fans, showcase our hero athletes and bring our products to life. We hope to build a significant Facebook community as a result and boost awareness of key product stories, in particular lens adaptability and customized frames’.

We feel that the innovative ‘You Vs’ campaign achieves exactly those goals and, after 61,000 Facebook likes, is already having the desired effect for Oakley.

Now I suggest you click here and give it a try for yourself. Let us know how you get on.

By Synergy on July 26th, 2011

Tags: Blogging, Default, Digital marketing, Facebook, Media, Online communities, Social Media, Sponsorship, Sport, Synergy, Synergy Loves, Synopsis, Viral Marketing, YouTube

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