Around 60 years ago modern sponsorship was born, driven by the mass penetration of television and broadcasters’ simultaneous discovery of sport as premium entertainment content. Brands, naturally, followed. Subsequently there have been three major evolutions of sponsorship, and we are now at the start of the fourth, which is in many ways the most exciting and far-reaching yet.

In the first evolution, in the 1960s and ’70s, sponsorship was a dark art: a minority activity among brands and, inevitably given its newness, more than anything a leap of faith. The sell was all about how much on-screen coverage you could achieve for a logo. Tobacco led the way by embracing motor racing and just about every other sport, and stadium naming rights deals in the USA began to multiply.

History is made at the 1968 South African Grand Prix with the first fully-liveried tobacco-sponsored F1 cars, for Winston's Gunston brand

And as with every evolution of sponsorship, this type is still very much around today: the architect of Emirates’ sponsorship strategy, Mike Simon, for example, freely admitted a few years ago that Emirates’ sponsorship strategy was totally predicated on how many media impressions a sponsorship achieved.

The second evolution began in the late 1970s, when Horst Dassler and Patrick Nally created the multi-sponsor event model for the FIFA World Cup, and sold it to Coca-Cola. The IOC followed, so did just about every other major event organiser in sports, and the model became the template for how most sponsorship is still sold today.

Coca-Cola's pioneering sponsorship of the 1978 World Cup created the template for brand partnerships with major events

In the third evolution, which began in the 1990s, sponsorship took off and brands got strategic about it. Sponsorship was everywhere, if you did it right it worked, and if you weren’t doing it – especially if you were a global brand – your competitors almost certainly were. This drove intense competition for key assets and big increases in rights fees. Sponsorship became seriously big business, so big business began to think and act seriously about sponsorship. QED: by the end of the ’90s, for the first time, you could see brands beginning to adopt global sponsorship strategies based on platforms rather than on individual sponsorships. When I look back at this shift, I think in particular of Nike and they way they planned and activated football worldwide, and of Red Bull, who created a global portfolio of owned assets to drive their brand USP. Familiar behaviour now, but very new at the time.

Red Bull Stratos was the latest episode in Red Bull's long term global brand activation strategy

I believe the fourth evolution of sponsorship has started, and that it’s the social evolution, in two senses. First, in only a few short years, social media has come from nowhere to play a starring role in the sponsorship mix. It is transforming consumer behaviour and brand marketing strategies, especially around sponsorship, with an impact not seen since the advent of TV. Second, the ability of sponsorship to help brands drive and showcase their social responsibility programmes is now everywhere you look in the sponsorship landscape. And it’s no coincidence that these are simultaneous developments, because there is increasing evidence to suggest that social media is accelerating brands’ social behaviour.

When we look back at this fourth evolution, I believe that London 2012 will be seen as a defining moment of these two seismic forces in action in a big way together for the first time: the transformation of Olympic and Paralympic Games marketing in the shape of the Socialympics (a term Synergy coined back in February which subsequently went viral globally) coming together with an unprecedented array of activities by the Games’ sponsors to use sport, through the Olympic and Paralympic Games, for social good.

Welcome to the evolution.

By Tim Crow on December 13th, 2012

Tags: Brand marketing, Default, London 2012, Naming Rights, New Product Development, Olympic sponsorship, Social Media, Socialympics, Sponsorship, Synergy, Television

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Last night’s brilliantly entertaining Real Madrid versus Manchester City UEFA Champions League match also showcased one of the easiest – but most costly – mistakes in the sports marketing playbook, by new Champions League sponsor Gazprom. The design of their ad boards was so poor that you couldn’t actually discern the three Gazprom brand logos, as this shot illustrates (sorry about the quality – all my own work).

How did this happen? Because corporate identity guidelines got in the way.

Someone should have said: ”Hang the corporate guidelines around the way we reproduce our logo. We’ve bought a very expensive Champions League sponsorship. A lot of the value we’ll get back will be generated by brand exposure on TV. So let’s maximise the visibility of our brand on TV by making the logo as big and as visible as possible. That’s why all the other sponsors do it. We should do the same.”

Someone should also have said: “Let’s do a camera test and see how visible our logo is using this design.”

And maybe someone from UEFA should have said: “Guys are you sure about this?”

Maybe some or all of these things have happened. Maybe they haven’t.

But for Gazprom’s sake, I hope they do, soon – and that someone does something about it. I hate to see so much sponsorship money going to waste.

No doubt there’ll be people from Gazprom at Stamford Bridge tonight. Maybe their old friend Roman Abramovich can have a word…

By Tim Crow on September 19th, 2012

Tags: Advertising, Default, Football, Football Sponsorship, Sponsorship, Television, UEFA Champions League

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By Bruno Scartozzoni and Guilherme Guimarae

Brazilians on Copacabana beach celebrate Rio winning the 2016 Games (AP/Silvia Izquierdo)

As well as the medals Brazil wins, we are naturally taking a big interest in London 2012 to see what we have to follow. We can’t deny, our heads are already in 2014 and 2016!

Brazilians are following London 2012 in a very new way. For the first time in recent history, the Olympics is not being broadcast by Rede Globo over free-to-air TV. For those not familiar with the Brazilian media landscape, Globo is one of the top 4 media conglomerates on the planet, known worldwide for the quality of its delivery. It has also been the dominant media channel in Brazil for decades, regularly attracting huge nightly audiences. Brazilians joke that if something isn’t news on Globo, then it isn’t news at all.

When the London 2012 broadcast rights in Brazil bid were tendered years ago, Rede Record made a daring move, outbidding Globo for the free-to-air TV exclusive rights. This was a huge development in media competition in Brazil, but it came with implications.

Some athletes and sports governing bodies have complained (some more, some less vocally) that, despite alternating in the audience rankings between 2nd and 3rd places, Record’s reach is far smaller than Globo’s. So, in practical terms, London 2012 became less valuable as a marketing platform, so it can be said there is actually less engagement (natural or forced) from the media, and the public, than is normally the case with the Olympics.

Before the Games, Rede Record tried to pacify stakeholders, promising a great broadcast. One week later Brazilians are engaging with the games, but not primarily via Record. On the first Sunday of London 2012, Record ranked only third among free-to-air channels in Sao Paulo with 1.1 million viewers, losing out to Globo, with 2 million, and also SBT, a more popular channel which is famous for importing Mexican soap operas, with 1.3 million. Terra’s free HD broadcast over the web is also helping Brazilians engage with the Games, especially during business hours.

In this scenario, brands are being challenged to create alternatives to enable consumers to engage with the Games. Step forward – social media!

Guilherme and Bruno are partners at Ativa Esporte, a Brazilian sports marketing consultancy which is Synergy’s partner in Brazil.

By Synergy on August 2nd, 2012

Tags: Brazil, Brazil 2014, Brazil 2014 Sponsorship, Brazil 2014 Sponsorship Consultants, Default, Football Sponsorship, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, London 2012 sponsorship consultants, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Olympic Torch Relay, Olympics, Rio 2016, Rio 2016 Sponsorship, Rio 2016 Sponsorship Consultants, Socialympics, Sponsorship, Sponsorship consultancy, Sponsorship consultants, Television, World Cup, World Cup Sponsorship, World Cup Sponsorship Consultants

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The Jubilee provided food for thought for some of the key trends to watch during the Olympics – or the Jubilympics, as Twenty Twelve‘s sublime Siobhan Sharpe would of course describe it.

1. London 2012 Will Evolve Britain and Britishness

As I predicted back in January, the story of how Britain re-defines itself and what it means to be British under the global spotlight has been and will continue to be a key trend all year. As I write this, Ed Miliband’s speech about Englishness is making waves. Back in March we had the decidedly mixed reaction to Stella McCartney’s Team GB kit designs for adidas, which of course wasn’t a debate about design but about identity. The Jubilee was always going to be a landmark moment in this story, celebrating Britain at its most traditional. We can of course expect more of the same come Games Time, but watch out too for how the Games showcases more modern and diverse aspects of Britain, and how this evolves ’Britishness’ – both for ourselves, and for the world.

2.  Reflecting The Mood of the Nation Is Vital For Sponsors & Broadcasters

The ability to accurately reflect and leverage the mood of the nation at Games Time is vital to, in particular, the Games’ sponsors (especially the consumer brands) and to its host broadcaster. Get it right, and the overall campaign finishes with a halo and on a high. Get it wrong and – well, you end up with Fearne Cotton and Paloma Faith talking about sick bags featuring the Queen’s face.

3. It Might Rain. In Fact It Probably Will.

Outside of the host country, most Games are only remembered for two or three things at most. Example: Vancouver 2010. If you’re British, I suspect you’ll remember it for some or all of these three things: Amy Williams’ gold medal; the tragic death of Nodar Kumaritashvili; and the fact that it didn’t snow.

It rained – a lot – during the Jubilee long weekend. Let’s hope it doesn’t – too much – during the Games.

4. How Will It Look & How Will We Feel About It?

For better or worse, one of the defining images of the Jubilee was of course the Union Jack. It wasn’t subtle, but it was everywhere.

London 2012 of course has its own version, which differs markedly to the rest of the 2012 visual identity

A defining image of every Olympics in the modern era for the host country is the ‘look and feel’ of the host city at Games time. I’ll be very interested to see how London 2012 renders its visual identity onto London and the country during the Games, if and how consumers adopt and adapt it to their own purposes, and how this ultimately affects the legacy perception of what of course began life as a deeply unpopular logo.

5. Show Me (Don’t Tell Me)

I’ve written before about how well - in striking contrast to the World Cup – the Olympics leverages the suspense of which acts will be playing at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

In this respect I thought it was a shame that after the Diamond Jubilee concert Sir Paul McCartney chose to reveal that he would be, as he put it, “closing the opening” of London 2012.

That aside, watching the highlights of the Diamond Jubilee concert, and hearing people talk about it the next day, it struck me again how important ’the show’ – the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and all the accompanying concerts -is going to be to people’s experience and memory of the Games, not least (picking up on my point above about Britishness) in shaping both Britain and the world’s impressions of what it is to be British.

And on that note, let’s hope that, come July 27, we can do a bit better than this.

6. Expect More Projection Mapping

Unquestionably the big hit of the Diamond Jubilee concert was Madness playing on the roof of Buckingham Palace, which was memorably transformed by some brilliant projection mapping.

Although projection mapping has been out there for a couple of years, this was the first experience of it for most UK consumers who were evidently wowed. Good news for them, because I happen to know that there’s a lot more of the same coming during Games Time.

By Tim Crow on June 7th, 2012

Tags: BBC, Brand marketing, Content, Default, Design, Diamond Jubilee, Digital marketing, Experiential marketing, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, London 2012 sponsorship consultants, Music, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Team GB, Television, Vancouver 2010, Winter Olympics

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If you haven’t already heard, 2012 is going to be the year of Connected TV. But what is Connected TV – the next ‘game-changer’, a televisual revolution, or just another over-hyped gamble for brands? And what does it really mean for Sponsorship?

Here’s an overview of Connected TV for the uninitiated:

Let’s look at the facts. Firstly, the TV is still very much at the centre of our entertainment universe. In the UK, we are watching more TV than ever before – a startling average of 120 hours per month – which compares to an average of just 7 hours per month on Facebook.

And last year, of the 9 million TVs sold in the UK, 3m offered some form of ‘connected’ technology (70% of Samsung sets were connected TVs). However, only half of those who have these TVs have ever bothered to connect and only half of those who have connected do so on a regular basis. So, while adoption has been slow, the infrastructure is already in place and just waiting for the revolution to occur.

But haven’t we heard all this before though? Wasn’t interactive TV the future a decade ago? Unlike the false dawn of the mobile internet at the start of the century, developments in both technology and the way people use it have suddenly hit a tipping point for the humble TV – so this time it is for real.

So what’s all the fuss about? What does Connected TV mean and, more importantly, what does it offer the consumer? The presentation below attempts to answer some of those questions:

Simply put, it’s the convergence of TV with the internet to create new content, services and on-screen experiences.

This will include:

Content Apps:

A range of content players like Netflix, Hulu, Blinkbox and YouTube will offer both long and short form content with various commercial models (ad funded, pay per view, monthly subscription etc.). All content creators (e.g. movie studios, production houses, even sports rights holders) will have a direct and cheap distribution channel to the consumer, with no need to buy TV bandwidth or pay carriage fees.

New Platforms:

The BBC, ITV, Channels 4 and 5, TalkTalk, BT and Arqiva are launching YouView, the connected TV successor to Freeview. With a set top box expected to cost £200 (if it ever launches!) it will combine broadcast and broadband content, while providing an open-source platform for app developers.

In addition, Sky have announced the launch of their own internet TV platform which will offer pay-as-you-go premium services, including catch-up TV, to people who don’t currently subscribe to Sky’s platform.

Google and Apple are making set top boxes and TVs to bring new services to the TV screen, while gaming consoles like Microsoft Xbox and Sony Playstation are connected devices that already have a strong presence in many living rooms.

‘Companion’ Apps:

Zeebox and Umami are examples of new ‘second screen’ experiences designed for mobiles and tablets. They allow viewers to gather more information about what they are watching, plan their viewing (even serving as remote controls), while enabling and encouraging social interaction and programme participation. Most interestingly for brands, however, is the fact that it closes the feedback loop, making TV more like on-line in terms of understanding who engages with what content and how.

This will allow Zeebox, for example, to enable brands to serve up targeted content for each viewer. And, of course, it creates a very direct pathway between what you see on TV and the opportunity to buy via e-commerce. “Do you like this song, her shoes, his shirt, this book, that holiday? Well here’s the link to buy it.”

All of this adds up to a potential TV viewing revolution which will impact everything, including what you watch, who creates and delivers your content, how that content is funded, what advertisements you see, what the admen know about you, how your TV experiences are shared and how you will end up paying for it.

So, what does it mean for brands and what does it mean for sponsorship? As a starter for 10, here are a few trends, ideas and opportunities that are worth considering:

Bespoke Companion Apps:

Sponsorship-specific companion apps can provide fantastic opportunities for sponsors to enhance fans’ enjoyment of an asset while opening up a new channel through which to speak to them. A great example is the RBS 6 Nations Live Challenge (featured in the February edition of Synopsis), which tested the audience’s rugby knowledge by challenging them to make real-time, in-game predictions and answer relevant trivia questions. Betfair have just launched a Euro 2012 App which optimises the audiences ability to bet in-game, while Sky gives the F1 fanatic the ability to deep-dive into the sport’s technical detail with its F1 Companion App.

Content Curation:

In a world of too much choice it becomes more and more difficult for consumers to accidentally stumble across content perfect for them. This has to be introduced – a ‘managed discovery’ – where someone that knows what you like and you respect (i.e. a brand) suggests content for you to consume.

Sponsorship gives brands access to content which people are really passionate about, so curating it into relevant music playlists, videos, photos, games and experiences is another way to get invited into their lives.

Content Creation:

Creating the content that your customers want is more time-consuming and risky but just as relevant, and Connected TV is making this a much more attractive proposition for brands. Firstly, it gives brands the ability to distribute their content directly to their audience for a very low costs (without having to pay carriage costs to the major platforms). More importantly, however, it also allows brands to create direct sales channels and capture customer data which delivers a much clearer line-of-sight to revenue generation.

Foster’s are in this mode at the moment with their ‘Foster’s Funny’ new Fast Show episodes, while BMW Presents: The Ultimate Performance is a brilliant series of four short films featuring Louis Smith, Rebecca Adlington, David Weir and Steve Cram which connects the brand to its Olympic sponsorship by exploring various angles on what it takes to deliver the ultimate performance.

Content Distribution:

Connected TV could drive major changes to the typical broadcasting rights model. With the internet providing a global distribution channel, the old country-by-country sale of broadcast rights is starting to look pretty archaic. Here’s a prediction: YouTube will bid for the global broadcasting rights for a major event within the next 5 years.

Connected TV could also significantly change the dynamic for ‘minority’ passion points which don’t currently receive significant TV coverage. There could be global ‘channels’ devoted to passion points like winter sports, triathlon, netball, martial arts, rock climbing, sailing, polo, opera, ballet, yoga, theatre, fashion, shoes, and every kind of music under the sun. The value of sponsorship within these passion points is currently held back by a lack of broad exposure. Connected TV could really help unlock this value creating exciting new sponsorship opportunities for brands.

Connected TV is here, it’s new and this time it means business. Whilst consumers have yet to engage en masse, the battle for platform dominance is still to play out and the commercial models that drive it are still fluid, it is clear that Connected TV opens a whole new world of opportunities for sponsors to drive new sources of value.

This is not the time to sit on the sidelines; this is the time to test and learn.

This month’s Synopsis Thought Piece was contributed by Pete Edwards, Director of Strategy at Engine.

By Synergy on May 31st, 2012

Tags: Content, Film, Media, Social Media, Synergy, Synopsis, Television, Television audiences

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What happened

Cadbury is well known for its fun and games when it comes to creative advertising, and haven’t disappointed with the new campaign to promote the new Dairy Milk Bubbly. Welcome to ‘Joyville’ – an imaginary magical land where chocolate is made.

The ad includes chocolate helpers appearing from hidden places in a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-inspired setting of bubbly, melting chocolate. Launched on Google +, the campaign also came with a real-world component, a musical chocolate fountain in London’s Westfield Shopping Centre in White City.

This year the Cadbury brand has also presented us with the Blippar-powered augmented reality digital game ‘Quaksmack’ for smartphones. Chocoholics can point their smart phone at a packet of Cadbury goodies to start playing, while of course being exposed to multiple brand messages. The game forms part of Cadbury’s Spots v. Stripes London 2012 campaign.

Why we love it

Cadbury Dairy Milk has been championed as the nation’s favourite chocolate since its launch back in 1905. Their association with the expression of Joy, introduced in their late ’70s advertising and reinvigorated in 2007 by the infamous Cadbury Gorilla ad, has created a sense of magic around the brand, with the latest campaign creating a space that captures the imagination and curiosity whilst tapping into youth, fun, happiness and enjoyment.

We love the approach, the unique positioning for an Olympic sponsor, and that they chose to transform a physical space into a chocolate-flavoured factory full of life. Alongside the tangible live element to the Joyville campaign, the use of innovative digital technology within the ‘Stars and Stripes campaign’ shows an appreciation that immersive brand experiences can be as much virtual as real-life. The association of fun and games with a serious competition such as the Olympics is an interesting angle which ties in perfectly to Cadbury’s principles and brand messaging. After all, games are great – they get people playing, they bring people together and sometimes they even reveal an undiscovered talent.

With brands like Cadbury embracing such a creative approach, it is not hard to imagine a world of the future, full of fun and games, where your experience begins the moment you step outside your front door; where your smartphone becomes a vessel of endless possibilities, a seamless integration of digital and live, creating vastly enriching experiences. Imagine trying on that suit or dress you have just spotted in the latest film at the cinema in a matter of minutes, or downloading a recipe for your favourite dish whilst watching someone cook it in front of your eyes.

By Synergy on February 24th, 2012

Tags: Advertising, Default, Synergy Loves, Television

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It’s not news that we’re all watching TV whilst surfing the net, tapping away on our smartphones and engaging others in discussion around our favourite programmes (just log on to Twitter during  X-Factor and Strictly!). What I’d like to applaud here is how broadcasters are taking this social engagement and building communities of loyal fans beyond the TV schedule.

Sunday night saw the last ever episode of the BBC’s thrilling MI5 drama Spooks. After nine years and 10 series it was time for the sliding doors of Section D to close for a final time. I knew I would probably be a little tearful and mourn that I’ll no longer swoon over the incredibly suave terrorist-fighting male cast, nor dream of emulating the leading ladies; however, what I absolutely loved was the show’s commitment to social engagement.

As an avid Tweeter, I was super-excited to find out during Series 9 that you could actually follow the characters on Twitter. The thing that they have got so right with these feeds is that they are active all year round (unlike @bbcLuther who only tweets when Luther is airing). Not only are they active but also attentive. They care about their followers and will take the time to respond to individual tweets.

First up, can you imagine my surprise (and delight) when @Dimitri_MI5 tweeted back to a message I sent about being excited about the final series starting…

I certainly *grinned* on receiving that back, but this was topped off by a response from the boss man himself @Harry_Pearce when I tweeted after the final episode…

I’ve honestly never felt more social media love than that and I’m sure anyone who has received a response or RT will be feeling the same way!

It’s great to see other dramas are taking a lead from Spooks, with ITV’s Downton Abbey creating profiles for all cast members – @LadyMaryCrawley is winning the followers race with over 1,700 at the time of writing. So when you’re watching on Sunday night, you know where I’ll be… wrapped up on the sofa with Blackberry in hand, tweeting away.

By Caroline Ayling on October 27th, 2011

Tags: Default, PR, Public relations, Social Media, Television, Television audiences, Twitter

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Content forms an integral part of our work; understanding the factors regarding emotional and intellectual engagement with an audience are important in order to create meaningful experiences. The aim of this article is to trace the evolution of content creation and delivery in light of advances in technology and changes in social activities; hopefully giving some useful insight into options we have for our clients when planning campaigns.

“My biggest competitor today is someone with an idea”

Nabil Sakkab – Head of Research & Development, Procter & Gamble.

TV Content

In the days when the only mass media was broadcast and print, content producers had a one-way channel to engage their audience.

Typically, audiences respond best to content that carries authority (from factually trusted sources such as the Government) or authenticity (content that connects through personal or social relevance).

Successful TV has both authority and authenticity and the really successful ones are memorable – generally through well-executed, great ideas that appeal to the emotions (through shock or comedy).

A good example is Keira Knightley’s Women’s Aid commercial:

The production values are high, the storyline is strong and the effect of the film is to shock; but if we do not remember the website listed at the end, once the ad finishes we are left shocked but no longer engaged.

Internet content

With the arrival of YouTube came Manic Dog, Mystic Cat and endless wedding carnage videos. However, once TV producers started to talk with web developers (with the aid of a translation service) the result was a subtle shift in the style and format of programmes.

Interactive software has enabled content producers to give audiences a different experience; multi-layered options in story, format and delivery that no longer depend on high production values but instead rely on engagement through information and choices.

The Government anti-knife crime video campaign, ‘Choose a Different Ending’, is a good example of informed choice given to an audience:

Due to the interactive nature of the viral video, the user/target audience is forced to think about knife crime and the choices they are being asked to make. Each decision is then brought to life in the video, offering an insight into the consequences of carrying a knife. This is a good example of a campaign initiative that can only work online, as it relies on audience interaction.

The video engages the target audience in several ways:

- It is shot from an individual perspective i.e. the player sees the world through the eyes of one person

- It is shot on a council estate and then in the surrounding areas (park, nearby roads), so that the location is a familiar one to the target audience

- The cast is formed of the target audience, ensuring that the language and dress code would also be recognised by this audience

- The video was created with the aid of the target audience which helps with authenticity

Paid, owned and earned

For a while we settled into the comfort of three areas where content would be delivered and debated:

• Paid: TV commercials
• Earned: Comments on a YouTube video
• Owned: A company’s website

 

Of these three areas, earned has proven to be the most valuable as it carries authenticity through endorsement from peers.

Once hit counts and comments turned into real currency, producers soon realised that success with the audience required more than simply being in the same space, even if the content was clever or well-produced. It became clear that the appropriate tone, language and social context were essential for success.

Take the Government swine-flu film, 2009:

This was a TV ad that was also delivered and promoted online, receiving a whopping 380 hits on YouTube. The ‘Catch it Bin it Kill it’ message was generally dismissed as something for other people (perhaps the penalty for wearing bad jumpers in lifts).

The Government then commissioned a viral video to deliberately spoof the official one, involving actors from the target demographic and contemporary music. The result is much more fun.

Same message; different style (smaller budget); 1 million hits on YouTube. Enough said.

How we consume media

Almost more important to ‘where’ people are watching their videos is ‘how’ people are watching them.  This has an effect on the creative and production process.

Viewing habits can be grouped into three main types of activity:

- Snippets (spontaneous media activity)

- Boutique (speciality media searches)

- Catch-up (fitting TV schedules around our own lives)

A recent survey of 1,300 mobile Internet users below the age of 25, showed that most use a mobile device to talk to friends about the show they are watching, a trend known as ‘Social TV’.

Social media

Social media has altered the definitions of paid, earned and owned media or at least has blurred the lines between them. Now, the challenge that agencies face is figuring out how to integrate all three forms of media for maximum effect.

After all, social content, by definition, can lack authority but it has authenticity because it establishes relevance and context with our friends and our surroundings.

Let’s have a diagram.

Sponsorship events

We know there are Fans (consumers) who have Passions (Sport, Music, Art). Sponsored activities provide the magical third piece of the puzzle – the Location. This is not just the location of the event, but, thanks to mobile phones, the location of fans too. And this is powerful intelligence regarding media capture and distribution options.

Radiohead’s concert video shot in Prague in 2009 by 50 fans on Flip cameras makes you feel like you are standing amongst the crowd:

It appeals to fans because it was made by fans, contains fans and gives the fans that couldn’t go the feeling that they were there.

And the effects go beyond the concert. The video was endorsed and published by the band; further projects have been planned by the fans that in turn become a part of the history of the band, strengthening the relationship between all concerned.

The Social challenge – the media ecosystem

The goal is to connect the dots and integrate all media for maximum results.

It is not just about producing content for an event or campaign but to inspire the target audience to contribute, to collaborate and comment beyond the life of the event.

The media can take on a life of its own, especially if there are core community and social values – a mini ecosystem that can run beyond the campaign.

Mobile

Mobile is ever-increasingly becoming the medium of choice, particularly for image capture and Geo-positioning. According to Comscore, in the next 12 months:

‘We predict more than half of all mobile consumers will have access to mobile media, largely driven by growing adoption of smartphones. Identifying the synergies that exist between all consumer touch points – traditional PC internet, mobile media (via app and browser), tablets, etc. – and understanding how consumers use these devices to fulfil different needs and convenience levels will be of critical importance to marketers.’

How does all this affect production for Synergy Clients?

Social / mobile media is very powerful but it often requires a paid spark.

Synergy already produces world-class output and my goal is to bring broadcast, online and social production and planning experience into close proximity with the Synergy team and clients hopefully resulting in:

- Real-time intelligence on media options available

- Advice on production and delivery techniques, and suppliers to maximize creative impact

- Guidance on delivery options, channels, asset management (now and future) and measurability. If they are managed, assets can be re-purposed, like this COI text driving radio ad that was repurposed (very cost-effectively) as a viral video simply by adding graphics

Here is fifteen years of TV and web production distilled into my simple media AIM chart:

In Summary

- Content has developed from a one-way communication to an interactive conversation endorsed and measured through social reference

- The balance  of emotional, intellectual and social engagement should be carefully planned depending on the target audience and mediums available

- Technology and innovation drive the reach of our work but synergy between content producers and audiences fuels its impact

By Synergy on October 13th, 2011

Tags: Advertising, Alcohol, Branded content, Celebrity, community, Content, Default, Digital marketing, Facebook, Media, Sponsorship, Synergy, Synopsis, Television, Viral Marketing, YouTube

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What happened?

Online fashion retailer ASOS has continued its pioneering digital approach by utilising urban culture to promote its new 2011 Autumn/Winter menswear collection.

Through a new online experience, the ASOS Urban Tour uses an interactive platform to showcase its latest range, by zooming in on a variety of street performers including skaters, dancers and musicians, in five of the most stylish cities across the globe: London, Paris, Berlin, Los Angeles and New York.

Through an interactive scrolling map, similar to Google Earth, the application starts with a bird’s eye view of the globe and then zooms into the streets within your chosen city. The real funs starts when you click on any of the dancers, skaters or musicians who then start to perform. The interactive videos offer links for each of the performers and enable the user to see what they are wearing and how to purchase it.

Why we love it

Marketing something as personal and tactile as clothes in a two-dimensional online environment will always be a challenge. But ASOS continue to develop and push the boundaries, using engaging and innovative methods to showcase its clothing ‘in action’. This cutting-edge campaign, which combines lifestyle aspirations and fashion, represents a natural progression from the successfully executed online catwalk concept.

Research undertaken indicates that male consumers being targeted by ASOS are influenced in their fashion choices by what they see being worn on the streets, and therefore partnering with inspirational urban talent offers a fresh and relevant approach for the online retailer.

Urban Tour has been supported with extensive social media presence via the official ASOS Facebook page which currently boasts over one million ‘likes’. Inter-city rivalry has been utilised to spark conversation via an online poll, simply asking fans which city is their favourite – London currently sits at the top with 1,381 of the 2,895 votes. Fashion bloggers globally have been going crazy for this ‘mind blowing’ digital offering, describing it as an “entirely fresh and truly incredible experience.” So for those of you fashion-conscious men not making it to any London Fashion Week shows, I suggest you get your fix of urban style here!

By Synergy on October 13th, 2011

Tags: Advertising, Branded content, community, Default, Facebook, Fashion, Social Media, Sponsorship, Sport, Synergy, Synergy Loves, Synopsis, Television, The Arts, Viral Marketing

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Now I enjoy pleasant scenery and lush green surroundings as much as the next guy, but you’d be unlikely to find me seeking out the latest news concerning the upcoming Chelsea Flower Show.  Kudos, then, goes to Hillier Nurseries, who captured my attention with some fantastic imagery of their 35ft silver birch tree, en-route to the annual horticultural festival.

The £4.5k valued birch tree is the largest to ever be hosted at the CFS, and was featured in today’s editions of The Independent and Daily Telegraph making the journey from its Hampshire home.

With this week coming on the back of a momentous weekend of truly historic news stories, PRs all over the land will have been groaning under the pressure to get coverage for their own important product launch.  Congratulations to the guys in the Nickelodeon press office, who kept it simple and landed a full page of coverage in the Daily Star and online with ITN for the launch of Nickelodeon Land at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

There’s nothing to wow the creative or strategic mind here, but sometimes some good old fashioned fun PR works a treat, and the unlikely combination of David Hasselhoff and Spongebob SquarePants proved a big hit.  With “The Hoff” donning a red jacket to reprise his lifeguard role from 1980’s smash hit Baywatch on the new log flume ride, the photos ensured the park is set to cause a splash this summer.

However with the media agenda still dominated by the fallout of royal weddings and US military operations, only one PR story came close to grabbing the same column inches.  It may be about to begin a seventh season, but BBC’s The Apprentice still has what it takes to grab big headlines. This time the format of the show has been tweaked slightly, with the winning contestant receiving £250k to put towards the start-up of their very own business.

Almost every national carried a full feature on the launch, including interviews with Lord Sugar, quotes from pumped up contestants, and opinion from columnists on the next 12 months ahead.  A high profile launch would expect to deliver standout national coverage, but The Apprentice skilfully distributed it’s assets to ensure compelling cut through in nearly every outlet a week from transmission.  You’re hired.

By Donald Parish on May 6th, 2011

Tags: Gardening, Media, PR, Public relations, Synergy Papers, Television

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