Who says engagement doesn't translate to sales?

Everyone complains that sometimes engagement isn't enough!

People wan't to see the bottom line increase as well right? - not just the conversation of the brand and its products. Well, I say they are not thinking creatively enough about engagement.

Introducing Hijack - an app designed by a shoe store called Meat Pack in Guatemala. This engagement piece actually gets customers RUNNING to their stores - extremely creative and ingenious! 

But why do people run? 

1. Customers download a Meat Pack mobile app that tracks their location using GPS.
2. When the app senses you have entered a competitior's store (Nike, Adidas etc) a  message pops up.
3. It gives you a challenge - gamification ( a very powerful tactic to drive interaction, turning brand or purchasing activities into games). Customers are given a 100% discount on any product in the Meat Pack shoe store - even though they are still standing in a competitor's store.
4. THE CATCH. this offer is time sensitive - for every second you wait 1% of the discount disappears. This translates into significant customer behavior - people begin running to the nearest Meat Pack to claim their discount before it becomes too low! 

Think that engagement pieces can't translate into sales - think again!

Hijack By Meat Pack

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

Who knew there was a Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity? Apparently it is an international advertising festival that people attend from all over the world concerning marketing, brand management, market engagement and advertising. As expected, there are workshops, seminars, talks etc. It sounds like the TED of marketing - can someone buy me a ticket please! Much appreciated. 

The seven-day Festival is also the only truly global meeting place for professionals working in advertising and communications, from creatives to marketers. Over 11,000 delegates from 90 countries attend seven days of workshops, exhibitions, screenings, master classes and high-profile seminars by industry leaders such as Dan Wieden, Sir John Hegarty, Bob Greenberg, Maurice Lévy, David Droga, Mark Tutssel, Sir Martin Sorrell and Tham Khai Meng, as well as people like Mark Zuckerberg, President Bill Clinton, Malcom Gladwell, Robert Redford, Ben Stiller, Yoko Ono, Debbie Harry, Rupert Murdoch, Steve Ballmer, Dick Costolo, Jeff Bewkes, Eric Schmidt, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Philippe Dauman, Kofi Annan, and Bob Geldof.

Not to mention it takes place during the summer - in Cannes - FRANCE!! Sold! 

THE TUESDAY TCHOTCHKE: UK Embassy In Beijing Decorated With QR Code

​The above picture is of the UK Embassy in Beijing, CHINA. You may notice the obscenely garish (or insanely clever QR code plastered to the outside of the building). The code leads to the UK Embassy's Sina Weibo Account (also known as Chinese-govermnent-controled-twitter). 

It goes without saying this is extremely clever, but why - several reasons:

1. ​Flouts convention -  since when would any country want to deface the exterior of their own embassy (as a metaphor for national pride) with an ugly QR code (they are really not that pretty). ​
2. ​​Engages Pedestrians - ​this engagement tactic really shouts out to you and also is good fodder for internet rumors and gossip.
3. ​China has the largest amount of internet users (and growing). /endofargument.

Coke's Share Can - Half the size, Twice the happiness

**IF ANYTHING, Skip down and watch the TED video below in its entirety - it's amazing!​

Have you seen Coke's ingenious new share can - I would argue its quite the marketing miracle. Think about it, customers get half the amount of coke they usually receive and in return they get this hard-to-measure thing called "2x the happiness". Customers are giving up something in return for what? Here's the video

For years, Coke has encouraged people to share happiness-and has given them lots of surprising ways to share a Coke. This time, they've taken the classic Coca-Cola 330ml can and designed it for two persons. Twist, turn and share-"yes", the Coca-Cola can itself.

This concept I think well demonstrates how marketing is uniquely equipped to deal with an ever growing world with increasingly strapped resources. The intangible value added into the Coke Share Can is something that costs no extra money or resources - and yet the customer in the end is much more content with the user experience. Mathematically, Coca Cola is cleverly giving you the same - if not more - satisfaction for half the amount of product (which in the end is better for the world, I would argue - making us appreciate more while consuming less).

What placebo effect? - a good marketer would argue (as you'll see in the TED video below). If the customer in the end is more satisfied with the product isn't that better? If not, what is the customer really looking for then? There is nothing inherently wrong with added value, although sometimes it can get a bad rap.

I think we need to remind ourselves that marketing is not and should not be in the business of deceiving customers (Mad Men style). Marketing is ultimately in the business of creating additional value ​in our lives - hopefully so we can all live just a little bit richer. Don't believe me?  Watch the video below - it's one of my all time favorite TED videos - a must watch!

http://www.ted.com Advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather than the product itself. Rory Sutherland makes the daring assertion that a change in perceived value can be just as satisfying as what we consider real value -- and his conclusion has interesting consequences for how we look at life.

I highly recommend you watch the above video