remember running around in a pair of nylon umbro soccer shorts, black sambas by adidas (worn without socks), topped by an ocean pacific t-shirt and a pair of raybans? yeah, i do. that was 1985.
many of you weren’t old enough to remember that but that was twenty years before american apparel brought back the nylon shorts.
so why doesn’t umbro take credit for that?
if umbro is going to succeed in america, they need to reclaim their cultural legacy, while also redefining their core demographic.
umbro needs to remind america why it’s an original and why it’s umbro who represents authenticity.
young american consumers love originality but they have not connected that love to umbro’s heritage. the audience is out there, ready to align themselves with an original brand, and therefore an umbro campaign needs to awaken umbro’s legacy of authenticity.
in terms of broadening its appeal, umbro needs to be open to america’s multi-ethnic society in the same way that they recently embraced england’s multiculturalism, and, in the process, redefined their core demographics.
umbro did that by releasing a commercial which challenges their audience to reconsider the cultural identity of its english cast.
it was a commercial created by anomaly, for the recently-completed world cup, featuring a cast of soccer fans that represents the diversity of faces in present-day england, yet are not typically associated with english soccer, or even with english cultural identity.
as kanishk tharoor writes in the british guardian, the commercial “implicitly makes an argument about englishness by picking half of its cast from non-white minority groups” while it “elegantly evokes the power of… how an incoherent country can come together on the pitch, how, as the historian eric hobsbawm once wrote: “the imagined community of millions seems more real as a team of 11 people.”
umbro needs to use that same pioneering spirit to win-over american audiences.
i wrote this with a few friends in mind: friends who have debated the merits of using social media as an asset for their upcoming cultural events. it’s a bit on the dry side, forgive me, but it is useful.
notes on developing a communications strategy for upcoming events. for film festival organizers, concert organizers, and other cultural event planners.
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A FEAST OF OPTIONS
to someone who does not actively engage with social media, services such as twitter, facebook and foursquare might appear to be very similar, yet to active users, these three social media platforms are perceived to be very different from each other, just as the three platforms provide significantly different functions for both the event planner and their intended audiences.
event planners should understand that none of these services should be used for one-way communications. users will not tune in if the only thing they encounter is a sales pitch or a string of announcements. users will tune in if they feel that they are participating in a dialogue.
each of these three social media options help build a relationship of trust and credibility between the event planner and the community that they are trying to reach. once that trust has been established, active users will go a long way towards helping the event planners make their event a success.
HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT?
if one were to compare the three services to a parallel service culture, then twitter and foursquare are both like fast foods, while facebook is slow food.
at different times, you want to make use of all three, but you certainly wouldn’t exchange one for the other.
furthermore, for an event for which one must develop a communication strategy that includes multiple distribution platforms, such as a website, a blog, a facebook page, and a twitter account, one could think of the main website as a clearly defined menu which remains fairly static, while, by comparison, the event’s blog is moderately active; in contrast, both the facebook and twitter streams offer a far more dynamic user experience, with each one serving a different purpose while also operating at different tempos.
A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MAIN WEBSITE, THE BLOG AND FACEBOOK
users turn to the event’s web page in order to get the basic facts, sometimes helping themselves to a few pieces of information about the people behind the event and the history of the event itself.
once the basic facts are known, users might turn to the blog to go deeper into the event’s back story.
at the same time, users turn to facebook in order to participate in a dialogue about the event (as well as a dialogue with the people behind the event).
in either case, users of both the blog and facebook usually expect the conversation to evolve slowly.
TWITTER AND FOURSQUARE
on the other hand, users turn to twitter for short pieces of information that typically are relevant for only a brief period of time. similarly, users employ foursquare to let their friends know about their current whereabouts. in each case, the information is only relevant (and easily accessible) for a few hours.
THE BLOG
an event’s blog can be used as a journal and scrapbook, which documents the event’s ongoing development. it offers event planners an opportunity to share some insights about some of the practical choices at stake, which some users will appreciate and want to comment on. as scrapbooks, some of the information found on the blog can be repurposed on facebook.
EXPECTATIONS and EXECUTION
on a facebook page, users often expect to discover information that ranges from a skeletal regurgitation of the event’s basic facts to generous servings of ancillary information about the event – the kind of information that is not critical yet useful and can play a vital role in building up a groundswell of support.
for example, while a user might visit the main web site to discover the event’s roster of performers, that same user might turn to facebook in the hopes of discovering additional recently-divulged information about some of those performers – with the added advantage that in the facebook environment, the user can comment and ask questions about any of the postings.
with that in mind, users on facebook expect to have a dialogue with other users who are planning on attending the event (or merely evaluating its merits).
in contrast to facebook, an event planner might use a twitter stream to announce last minute changes and additions to the event. weather and transportation issues that might affect guest turnout are often addressed via twitter and not on facebook.
furthermore, short pieces of dialogue related to a variety of quickly resolved issues are often exchanged via twitter. a twitter user might ask if the event is suitable for young children or accessible by baby stroller, or if the thunderstorm that’s predicted to strike is going to impact the start time of the event. the event planners would use twitter to respond to those questions, which are viewable to other users who have the same concerns.
users have become accustomed to utilizing twitter in this manner – the twitter stream becomes a notice board and is often the most trusted source for last-minute information about the event.
it’s therefore very important that an event’s twitter stream is fully functional and actively managed in the days leading up to the event, as well as the event itself. as the day of the event approaches, users will consult the event’s twitter stream more frequently than it’s facebook page or website. while the twitter stream should be firmly established long before the event date, extra planning should be given to managing the twitter account in the final days leading up the event, and it’s normally a good idea to make sure that there are extra people on hand to answer questions via twitter on the event day itself.
compared to an exchange on twitter, facebook is far less dynamic yet facebook plays an important role in providing users with an opportunity to build a different kind of relationship of trust with the event planners. based on the quality, frequency and reliability of the exchanges on facebook, users might evaluate the event’s credibility, which helps them not only decide if they’ll attend, but also if they might tell others about the event.
therefore, a facebook page (as well as its corresponding facebook event page) needs to be fully operational far sooner than its twitter counterpart. just like the blog, it should be thought of as platform for a long-term relationship with people who are considering whether or not to turn out for the event.
as for foursquare, an event planner needs to make sure that their event is properly marked on foursquare’s list of locations, both in terms of event name and geographical location. a simple procedure, this should normally be entered a week or so before the event. doing this allows for users to announce their arrival at the event to their friends, which is useful in getting the word out that the event is happening and robustly attended.
TO WHAT END?
if event planners understand how to make use of their social media options, they will have an opportunity to participate in a rich dialogue with the very people who will attend their event. in many cases, those guests will participate in the success of the event and some of them, in the process, will transform themselves from passive consumers to active ambassadors for the event. that’s a remarkable transformation.
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LIST of INGREDIENTS
MAIN PAGE – basic information about the event and its participants, basic information about the event planners, basic information about the event’s history. schedules, roster of participants, directions to the event, transportation options, contact information. links to the events twitter stream and facebook page.
BLOG (such as a tumblr blog, wordpress-constructed blog or posterous blog) – a journal of the event’s planning stages and development. an opportunity for documenting behind the scenes developments. opportunity for outreach to potential attendees through following influential bloggers. an opportunity to cover the event’s aftermath and thank participants. links to the event’s main website, twitter stream and facebook.
FACEBOOK – in addition to a basic summary of the event, there should be extra information (like the extra features on a dvd). active dialogue between event planners and event attendees, covering a variety of subjects, including some behind the scenes stuff. opportunity for outreach to potential attendees through friending and following. an opportunity to cover the event’s aftermath and thank participants. links to the event’s main website and twitter stream.
TWITTER – short notices and updates about the event, which might include links to specific areas of the event’s facebook page or blog. short exchanges between event attendees and event organizers. information and announcements about critical last minute changes and additions. opportunity for outreach to potential attendees through following other twitter users and influential bloggers. links to the event’s main website and facebook page.
FOURSQUARE – having a presence on foursquare is more for the users’ benefit than the event planners – it allows users to share their participation and experience at the event with their friends. links to the event’s main website.
many lovely examples of branded experiences have hit the airwaves of late.
here is a selection of three from my very backlogged radar:
mother new york recently put together a series of short films for stella artois, entitled the ritual project. the series includes “up there” (see the clip further below), a documentary about the disappearing craft of hand-painted advertisements. directed by malcolm murray and produced by mekanism, i’m very much a fan of this piece.
anomaly new york offered a set of lovely docs for converse not too long ago, produced by ACNE production. the series is called the artists of tomorrow, aka “you’re it!” this kind of work tends to get me out of my seat.
and rounding out the list for right now, diesel just released “one hundred lovers,” also produced by anomaly. while it knowingly rips off godard’s bande à part (band of outsiders), which i find annoying and a bit lazy, the work itself pleases the eye and offers an amusing alternative to the shopping catalog, which makes it worth investigating.
i too have been brainstorming about expanding upon the shopping catalog experience, while i’ve been thinking specifically of using my own film, the things we keep, as a prototype… so it’s nice to see diesel + anomaly provide a bit of inspiration as they move in a similar direction.
as promised, here’s up there:
this little piece of code right here is for our good friends at technorati: the claim code is PXGURYZV25C8.
it won’t be long before the realm of commercials and branded documentary/entertainment ceases to be dominated by the firmly established names that we know today.
we are very soon approaching the day when the most noteworthy examples of visual storytelling are just as likely to be created by designers and musicians as they are by the directors and cinematographers who’ve dedicated themselves exclusively to the discipline.
while many people are already familiar with the work of designers such as stefan sagmeister and jonathan harris, one designer who continues to produce exciting work is ti.mo arnall.
creative directors at advertising agencies are making the leap too. that can’t be too surprising. strategy directors won’t be far behind.
this morning, i was having a pleasant conversation with paola antonelli, senior curator at moma; this afternoon, i was being padded down by the NYPD outside the midtown tunnel.
late this afternoon, i ascended the front steps of our brownstone, then unlocked the front door to let myself into the foyer on the parlor floor.
at the end of the long hallway, i caught a brief glimpse of something white, which quickly disappeared around a corner.
concerned that there might be an intruder, i paused, then called out.
“hello?…. hello?”
i heard a faint shuffling of feet and then realised that the white flash belonged to our downstairs neighbor john, who reappeared from around the corner wearing his trademark white wife-beater tank top, white boxer shorts and slippers.
he had been hiding.
“is everything all right?” i asked.
“yeah, i was just going to check the mail and then i saw you come in.”
“oh. ok.”
i then said, “well, i hope i didn’t scare you. i wasn’t sure.”
“what? scared? naah…”
“you were standing over there in the corner. i knew someone was there.”
there are many great filmmakers amongst us today, and most recently, no one has reaffirmed my love and passion for filmmaking as much as sweden’s roy andersson.
a genius for details as well as a true master of his domain, in a very literal sense of the word, there are few visual artists who can match the craft that andersson and his team put on display as they create elaborately staged scenes of elegant beauty with its dark yet quietly life-affirming humor.
astonishingly, ALL OF IT is done without the benefit of digital effects.
he shoots everything in-camera, much in the same way that michel gondry approaches his work.
here’s a scene from one of andersson’s most recent works, du levande (you, the living). it is taken from what represents the grand crescendo in this brilliant film. while it is a long scene with a slow build-up, it is very much worth waiting for.
keep in mind that everything you see has been constructed and placed before the camera. it was all filmed inside of a sound stage and it’s simply wonderful.
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