All brands have logos. Many brands change there logos. Some tweek, some overhaul, but some one some where makes the decision to change what they have relied upon for years. But do these people ever ask their clients if they want a change? No doubt that if some logos were tweeked, many of their clients wouldn’t notice the difference. Not the case of the new Everton FC crest. The powers that be, decided that a new look was needed, but they hadn’t asked their core client base; the fans!

In my humble opinion, the designers have done a decent job, but the changes haven’t gone down too well in the blue half of Mersyside. More than 20,000 fans signed a petition to protest about the changes to the Everton badge. Their main gripe is the dropping of the club’s Latin motto, ‘Nil Satis, Nisi Optimum’, which means ‘Nothing but the best is good enough’. Now I might be wrong here, but I’m not sure how many schools in Liverpool teach Latin these days, but I kind of get where the Evertonians are coming from. No one asked them. The powers that be, made this decision without any feedback from the people who put the money on the club’s table. Everton FC have since released a statement suggesting that any further changes to the clubs badge will be discussed with the fans. I look forward to the next motto to read ‘Dey Do Da Do Dont Dey Do’!

Paul Gibson
Art Director

The revelations about how much data technology firms were and are sharing with the NSA seem to just keep coming. The technology firms in question (Apple, Microsoft, Facebook) have, while denying the NSA had carte blanche access, nonetheless admitted that they have responded to the thousands of requests for data from the US government. Facebook admitted to receiving 10,000 requests for user data in the second half of 2012 alone.

But what has this to do with marketing, Ireland and Data Privacy?

Well, for the past while, the EU has been winding its way down the bumpy road towards updating data protection legislation from 1995. With the NSA scandal, it seems like events have overtaken it somewhat. Indeed, some of the lobbying to weaken this legislation has come from the US Government itself who seems to feel like data protection is a nuisance that would get in the way of their ability to spy on EU citizens.

So it would seem like the new legislation, whilst rightly requiring more accountability from firms handling personal data, will actually do little to stop governments from prying. This, unfortunately for marketers, could mean less trust from customers. And while most people would admit it would be almost impossible to wean ourselves from the digital teat offered by technology firms, they can still chose not to engage with marketing campaigns.

With this little freedom left to them, what way will customers jump?

Paul Rooney
Web Developer

Not another drug scandal this time, this was a great guerilla marketing stunt by a young Corkman who has only recently set up his own food company “The Rocket Man”. The initiative shows the possibilities of what can be done with no budget, but a cool idea, loads of initiative, and a friend who’s great with a camera.

Last weekend I was delighted to be involved in #mountainproject where the highest mountain in Ireland, Carrauntoohill was taken on by 50 “sherpa volunteers” (recruited on facebook!) and led by ‘The Rocket Man’ to carry up his healthy salads and set up the highest street food market ever in Ireland. The event strategically coincided with the June bank holiday, one of the most popular weekends to climb the mountain, and the second race of the Irish Mountain Running Championships, seeing over a hundred people on the peak at some points! For the more amateur climbers among the group though, this was no mean feat, scaling the ‘Devils Ladder’ up into the clouds. The climbing and comradery was unbeatable however and the reward at the top; even better. While some set up the stand at the top, a yoga teacher led a class for everyone to stretch out and relax. Finally, the salads were set to go, with fresh bread and hummus along with the iconic ‘Rocket Fuel’ ginger and blueberry cordial.

Not only the sherpas were fed, but the unsuspecting climbers who were greeted by this display. For any walkers reading this, you’ll understand how fresh food at the top of a climb, through the clouds, would more likely be a mirage than a reality!

The video was shot and compiled by Dog Day Media, the same people who produced the Ballymaloe Space Project and is spreading across facebook and twitter, even using Vine to show some 6 second clips of the laughs had. This Rocket Man Food is such a feel-good model; great food with a real quirky style and hopefully more stunts to come will help spread the hype.

Jane Butler
Intern

Facebook announced on Wednesday that it was going to introduce clickable hashtags for users. You will often see hashtags in peoples posts on Facebook, where they are posting the same thing to Facebook and Twitter, outside of that its become part of the vernacular, yes people actually use the word “hashtag” in their speech!

So Facebook are doing what Facebook do well and looking at what their users are doing and rolling out a feature, with users being able to click on the hashtagged words from the search bar and view a feed on that topic. Users will also be able to click on hashtags that originate on other services, such as Instagram and compose posts directly from the hashtag feed and search results.

Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst with eMarketer, told Mashable that “This is a layer on top of what Facebook is already offering. If marketers are already using hashtags as part of their marketing on other sites, they will be able to use those same hashtags within Facebook and drive engagement within the Facebook environment.”

It seems that Facebook is trying to steal back some of the second screen action that has been pretty much twitter territory. In a post on their Blog Greg Lindley, Facebook product manager said “. “During primetime television alone, there are between 88 and 100 million Americans engaged on Facebook — roughly a Super Bowl-sized audience every single night,”

The company said that hashtags were the first of several new features that will be introduced to highlight discussions about events on Facebook.

The company is rolling out hashtags to roughly 20 per cent of its users, with a full global launch expected in the coming weeks.

What does it all mean for you?

Well, the introduction of the hashtag on Facebook will change how people use the platform and engage with each other, content and to a degree, brands.

Brand Mentions – it seems likely that brand mentions will be easier to monitor now, similar to Twitter. Which means you will have more access to data about your brand which adds another layer of metrics and numbers to gauge success. You will also be able to engage in real time conversations, so think about needing to be even more always on.

Brand Pages – it seems unlikely that Facebook’s move to introduce #’s will threaten brand pages (where brands have spent lots of money) and it seems more likely that it will enhance brand pages. This is a wait and see one I think.

User Generated content – If someone posts a picture of themselves wearing/using a new product and uses the brand hashtag, depending on your legal guidelines, that could be a photo your page could use. Facebook and users love images so this will be a way to help generate more image content for brands.

Privacy – Facebook will maintain their privacy settings regarding hashtags, and won’t allow users to show up in click-throughs of the hashtag if their settings are set to be shared only with friends

Not for mobile – sadly, mobile will be a hashtag free zone as the app doesn’t support the phrase. Hashtags can be used, but there will be no click through to the hashtag feed.

Facebook hashtag ads – Facebook say they aren’t offering this yet, but they will.

Don’t Hashtag vomit – when brands were getting used to Facebook I coined the phrase “Facebook Vomit” to describe how they just spewed on their walls. We have to hope brands don’t start hashtag vomiting now, so if you are a brand owner reading this – please don’t!

Conor Byrne
Head of Digital

Sources:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jun/13/facebook-to-introduce-clickable-hashtags

http://mashable.com/2013/06/12/facebook-hashtags-ads/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/10117483/Facebook-hashtags-introduced.html

http://socialmediatoday.com/ryannorthover/1314666/facebook-hashtags-brands-and-users

http://www.ignitesocialmedia.com/facebook-marketing/facebook-hashtags-for-brands/

This article, written by Dialogue’s Conor Byrne, is featured in this month’s edition of IMJ – the topic was the future of social media…

Who Cares

What’s the future of Social Media? Really who cares? Our heads will just spin if we keep worrying about the future of social media – because when we ask that question we are really asking – what’s the next Facebook or Twitter? Who Cares!

Do you really think people sit at home, on the bus, or the train, in work or watching TV – wherever – and worry about the future of social media – about the next big thing. No they don’t. They don’t care.

We live in our marketing bubble – we are hyper conscious of channels – we are hyper digitally aware – we get so bogged down in it all that we forget what it’s all about. It’s about people, it’s about experiences, it’s about making lives a little more interesting.

Stop thinking about the future of social media and start to think about how and what people are consuming, what they are interested in and how you can enhance that. If you get that right, then you can tweak it for the right social channel.

In his book, Contagious, Jonah Berger says that “Contagious products and ideas are like forest fires. They can’t happen without hundreds, if not thousands, of regular Joes and Janes passing the product or message along. So why did thousands of people transmit these products and ideas?”

So the future (really the now) of social is about shareabiltiy and sharing. It’s about great content, it’s visual, it’s not perfect, it’s relevant, it’s local, it’s mobile, it’s quality but doesn’t have to be perfect (allow it be gritty).

And as Jonah Berger suggests, it’s not just online, we need to think how we can get offline consumers talking and sharing, because there are just as many, if not more offline conversations.

Social media will continue to be relevant, increasingly so. However it needs to be part of the broader picture and not singled out. Regardless of where it is headed we need to continue the quest for seamless creative experiences that live beyond analog and beyond digital and do things that excite people so they are willing to share them .

Conor Byrne
Head of Digital

We’ve all witnessed it before. The repeat offenders of driving whilst eating, sipping, talking, texting, you name it. While not all of these activities are necessarily illegal (yet), they are all dangerous as they prove to distract drivers, causing thousands upon thousands of accidents each year. It was recently reported that driving while texting is nearly 6 times more dangerous than driving while drunk! Although it may be hard to admit, I’m sure many of us are guilty on more than one count of distracted-driving. In fact, I have several coffee-addict friends that will adamantly argue that automatic cars were specifically invented for the coffee-drinking commuters…wait, what?!?

Earlier this month, MINI released a new campaign in Mexico that targets the women guilty of driving while applying makeup, another common and dangerous distraction that many of us have disapprovingly witnessed, I’m sure. According to the ad, an estimated 22% of accidents are caused by female drivers in Mexico, resulting in 1,273 lipstick fatalities each year.

Custom MINI airbags were secretly installed in soap dispensers across a number of ladies bathrooms throughout Mexico, as a not-so-subtle reminder that ‘there is a place for everything…makeup or drive’. The video below shows the surprised reactions of women who unsuspectingly apply makeup before the heart-stopping deployment of the secret airbag scares them six ways to Sunday.

Hmmm, I wonder if MINI has something else up their sleeve for the male drivers who, we can only assume, cause the other 78% of accidents in Mexico?

Meg Goodrich
Digital Account Executive

Not only do they do great grub, they do great marketing too. One of our neighbours, Brother Hubbard Café on Capel Street, has come up with a smart way of increasing their tips and marketing at the same time. How? The ‘Tip Jar War’. Each day they feature a different question – fighting one jar against the other. Regulars and newbies love it and it’s something they love to share online too. Smart!

Sinéad Ni Ghaora
Account Director

We had the pleasure of attending the This Is Beer multi-sensory beer tasting event in Bar 37, last night. What an amazing experience – our senses are still tingling! Who knew various types of beer are the perfect combination to accompany fish and chips, pâté, spicy food and even apple crumble. And the next time you look at a barman with disdain as he hands you a beer with a large head – think again! Drinking a beer through the head is the best way to properly taste it. Damn Germans – right again.

Gary McLoughlin and Michael Killeen
Managing Director and Chairman

Here’s a brilliant video created by Stephen Duffy, Rafal Baran, Afshin Moosavi and Olivia Ricci from the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown, which gives Dublin the look of a miniature village. It’s shot using Tilt-Shift photography which captures movements on small and medium-format cameras, and sometimes specifically refers to the use of tilt for selective focus. Learn more about this project here.

Paul Gibson
Art Director