Microsoft launches Experiential Marketing as CES to introduce new Bing App

Experiential Marketing can utilize a variety of environments and time frames. At CES 2010, Microsoft activated an experiential marketing program to help launch its Bing mobile app. The challenge was how to stand out from the other 2500 exhibitors on the show floor of CES.

If you have been to CES you know how over whelming the experience can be. Not only is it one of the largest per square footage but also most attended trade show with attendance at 110,000! With these types of numbers companies (even Microsoft) struggle to stand out from the crowd. Microsoft commissioned one of their agencies to the daunting marketing task to create an experiential marketing strategy that would over come this challenge.

The agency created a program that solved a couple challenges, capture one-on-one attention and attendee transportation logistics. Getting a cab in Las Vegas takes up to an hour during large trade shows. The experiential program included graphic wrapping 21 passenger shuttle buses and minivans, brand ambassadors on each bus to demonstrate the app and a one acre branded station across from the Convention.

The results from the marketing program included over 8,000 riders, 8,000 Bing app downloads and 15,000 one on one encounters over the three day CES Trade Show.

Questions that I have:

• Integrating Marketing - how was this integrated with other Microsoft marketing programs.
• Social Media - was there a hashtag created for the event so that event attendees could have shared during the Trade Show
• Marketing pre & post event - email, landing page, ect.
• Marketing Promotions - I would have give each of 8,000 that downloaded the app a promotional item (shirt, bag, ect) to further brand the experiential event beyond the bus ride.

Google Super Bowl Ad "Parisian Love" wins

For the first time in Google's history they entered the Super Bowl ad world in a big way by securing a commercial ad spot during the 2010 Super bowl. A bold move for the search giant, so failing was not an option. Google choose to secure their ad after half time during the third quarter of the game. Google CEO Eric Schmidt announced on his Twitter account, "Can't wait to watch the Superbowl tomorrow. Be sure to watch the ads in the 3rd quarter (someone said "Hell has indeed frozen over") ."

The 52 second ad was a view of their search engine doing what it does best, searching. The Search story followed a person trying to find information for courting a french girl. The Search story included mainly organic search and local search results. Interesting that they did not included paid search results, their bread and butter for revenue. The search results included using the web for definitions, translation and travel information.

"We didn't set out to do a Super Bowl ad, or even a TV ad for search," wrote a bashful-seeming Schmidt in a company blog post. "Our goal was simply to create a series of short online videos about our products and our users, and how they interact ... But we liked this video so much, and it's had such a positive reaction on YouTube, that we decided to share it with a wider audience."

Why this 52 second Google ad won:

• Branded advertising, "Google" was the name appearing throughout. You knew exactly who the advertiser was as compared to others who you did not.
• A story was told, you followed the progress and at the end wanted to know how it plays out.
• Educated on the use of its products, clearly demonstrated why it is easy to use and the many variations that it can be used.
• Soft sell, no talking or must buy now.
• Non-bashing, did not say bad things about competitors or why we are the best.

What Google could have done better:

• Slow it down. For thus that are digital savvy we could follow but still was difficult. I had to watch several times to see all the nuances. For the older demographic that is coming online in droves, there as No way they could have followed.
• Make this viral by at the end instead of saying "search on" say the story continues here with a link to their Youtube site with the continued story.
• Include showing the browser arrow scanning the paid search areas both top navigation and side.

Overall, I loved the spot which caught my attention from the other over-produced and played out scripts of the most of the other advertisers.

Share your thoughts here?

Business Quote - Henry Ford

"Anyone who stops marketing to save money is like a person who stops the clock to save time." - Henry Ford

Marriott Launches Social and Multimedia Hub

A few post ago I wrote about Marriott launching "Spirit of Aloha" experiential marketing tour and commented about what marketing and experiential marketing strategies Marriott should implement with this program. It seems that Marriott corporate has launched a new feature on the corporate website called "Marriott News Center".

With this new social and multimedia hub on Marriott.com, which welcomes 12 million unique visitors a month, there's just one single place to connect for all Marriott online news, photos, videos, blogs, Twitter feeds, and more. Users can share breaking news with their friends and followers.

"The Marriott News Center is a compelling and engaging place for consumers, including hotel guests, journalists and investors, to gather the latest news about Marriott, as well as a global forum to converse and share ideas," says Kathleen Matthews, Executive Vice President of Global Communications and Public Affairs, Marriott International. "The site is intended to transcend generations and communications platforms to reach and engage all audiences."

Did she say "engaging?" After reviewing the post since the official launch, there have been 12 post made with a total of 13 comments. Engaging? I then went to find info on the Marriott Hawaii road show and still could not find any information regarding this experiential marketing campaign. Engaging? Still committed to finding something engaging I clicked on the link Go Courtyard What's the latest buzz on Courtyard by Marriott. This launched into a new window and was in a blog style but the colors were dull and not like the corporate colors, the site had very little if any interactivity. Engaging?

"Success in social media, just like anything in business, takes a lot of work and time. Don't fool yourself" Scott Stratten (Twitter: unmarketing)

Marriott launches "Spirit of Aloha" experiential marketing tour.

Marriott Hawaii announces the launch of their 2010 mobile event road show set to visit 12 cities called the "Spirit of Aloha". The tour starts in Scottsdale, Arizona which begins the 5,530-mile journey aboard the 45-foot-long tour bus emblazoned with tropical images of Hawaii that will visit 11 additional U.S. cities through February 12. Texas and then to Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, St. Louis, Omaha, Denver and Salt Lake City with a final two-day stop in Los Angeles, Feb. 11-12. Tour partners are Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and Hawaiian Airlines. This trip follows two successful promotional tours on the U.S. mainland and Japan last year.

The experiential marketing objective is to encourage visits to the islands, the traveling road show will bring the sights and sounds of Hawaii to the mainland. Traveling on the bus will be Marriott Resorts Hawaii leaders, including general managers and directors of sales and marketing from each of its resort hotels, who will visit with travel partners, groups and media, while performers from the Polynesian Cultural Center will provide Hawaiian entertainment at each stop. Traveling on the bus will be Marriott Resorts Hawaii leaders, including general managers and directors of sales and marketing from each of its resort hotels, who will visit with travel partners, groups and media. Performers from the Polynesian Cultural Center will provide Hawaiian entertainment at each stop.

Marriott Resorts Hawaii will provide continuous updates from the road on Twitter and Facebook and a blog on the Marriott Hawaii Web site. "Our aim is to encourage folks to travel to the Hawaiian Islands in the coming year and stay at one of our beautiful Marriott Resorts on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii's Big Island," said Chris Tatum, vice president of Marriott International -- North Asia, Hawaii and South Pacific, in a statement. "Hawaii is already popular across the U.S. -- our goal is simply to raise the level of awareness and give people the extra nudge to come see us." This is the third bus tour Marriott has conducted in the U.S. The company also conducted a similar tour last October in Japan. Despite these efforts, Hawaii's tourism has declined, sorely affecting the state's economy.

Excited about visiting the tour when it comes to Los Angeles I could not find exact tour stops after visiting Marriott's corporate website, Facebook fanpage and Twitter. I also noticed others requesting information with no response back from Marriott as of this posting. The Twitter updates are not conversational in context just updates as they stated.

Recommendations: (These are just a few Conversation Marketing strategies that can be developed when you engage in an experiential marketing tour).

• Create a separate page on the website (with links to Facebook Fanpage and Twitter) for this mobile road show including tour stop exact locations, promotion announcements and VIP Marriott rewards program participant tours.


• Video - create a Youtube channel and create spots.


• Pre-marketing email campaign focused on tour stops. As a Marriott Rewards program participant I did not receive any marketing on this tour.
• Invite selected tour stop participants to Twitter, Facebook and blog about their experience.

What would you suggest?

To be or not to be "Authentic"

In the last several days (and I am sure everyday) there is an article somewhere that either "outs" a company/person or states what we all already knew. What, are we stupid or something? Not with my surrogate brain called "Google".

Busted - "The killer app that busted a ski resort", recent title from a story about how a new iPhone app busted a ski resort for overstating their snow base (conditions). The new app developed by skireport.com lets users compare the ski resort snow information to first hand accounts from the slopes and lifts. Once the app was embraced around a year ago, the snow jobs suddenly ceased.

Busted - By now (24hrs after) the announcement from Mark McGwire that he admitted to using steroids and HGH has filtered throughout the Internet. Duh, like we could not tell that he was lying to us and the congressional committee. During his career he blew up like one of the balloon animals clown's make. This admission now does do some justice, but how much?

Busted - College players accepting money and gifts. What, you are surprised? Some players arrive to practice by walking, taking a bus while others roll up in an Escalade. In the last 24 hours reports are streaming out regarding Pete Carroll's resignation from USC coincidentally during a time when an investigation into the schools Football team escalates.

This list could go on and on but I need to stop here (to get to the point).

Authenticity for our actions have been greater than we have experienced with the rise of the Internet, especially social media.

The Internet allows us to quickly find information about companies, people that work at companies, what people support ect all in the matter of seconds. With social media, we can then share, comment and export that information and opinions to the world. The era of "Do as I say not as I Do" are gone. Of course, unless you are okay with being a slime bag and think that is the best strategy.

We receive inquiries daily for links exchange request, product reviews, interviews etc. at WCNGroup (for subsidiary companies http://www.threepeasco.com/ and http://www.skittertoys.com/ ) in which before responding we do our research to find out critical information that will save dollars and time in the future. Some of that research even includes connecting with our network of business associates who can quickly respond back with information.

Authentic business marketing is the easiest form of marketing. Just do what you say you are going to do. Don't tell me your product is 100% Eco if it is not, don't tell me how your system will allow for me to track visitors without having a PhD in statistics, don't tell me you never did something than come out years later when your conscience gets the best of you, just do what you say!