Is social media just for chavs?

I was invited to present at the IAB Luxury Forum last week to talk about social media within the luxury sector.  There was a very interesting mix of speakers including:

• the Deputy MD of Grazia (topline view of key digital insights within luxury sector)
• the Head of Research & Insight at Microsoft Advertising (qualitative research on digital consumption in luxury sector)
• the Founder of Howto.TV (how luxury brands are using video on demand)
• the Head of Digital Planning and the Creative Director from Imagination (digital event case study for Christie’s Auction)
• the MD from Maximiser (website optimisation tips).

If you’re interested in reading their presentations you can access them all here.

My presentation was initially billed as “Practical social media tips within the luxury sector” but that was until I found out I had the graveyard slot as the last presenter!  So at the 11th hour I changed the title to something I hoped was a bit more attention grabbing…!

Whilst deliberately tongue-in-cheek  I was also trying to make a serious point  – is social media marketing a viable means of engaging affluent, aspirational audiences or is it more suited to mainstream brands who tend to cater for the masses?

This presentation puts forward the case that the luxury sector cannot afford to ignore social media, particularly when one considers how fast the social web is evolving. Yet at the same time, if Gartner is to believed, there’s a very high chance their social media campaigns will fail.   I therefore outline some key strategic considerations to help improve the chances of success, backed up with two practical social media examples from my client Infiniti Europe to bring this strategic approach to life.

If you work within the luxury sector – or any sector for that matter – I invite you to read this as there may be some useful nuggets for you to take away and apply.  You might also want to check out some of the stunning CGI video assets below which we created at TMW with Parasol Island as they form the basis of one of the social media campaigns in the presentation.  (Infiniti will be launching in the UK in September so watch this space!)

If you’ve got any other good examples of how luxury brands have embraced social media effectively I’d love to hear about them.  Either email me directly or mention them below so we can all learn from their success.  Many thanks.

Cyber Lions Grand Prix winners at Cannes

The Cyber Lions category at the Cannes International Advertising Festival covers a wide range of interactive marketing from websites, microsites, interactive campaigns, online advertising, rich media banners, mobile advertising, interactive tools, email marketing and viral videos.

This year there were three worthy winners who received a Grand Prix within this category.

‘Best Job in the World’ Campaign for Tourism Queensland

Let’s face it, we’ve all seen the typical tourist ads with beautiful, white sandy beaches, stunning aqua marine life and cliche couples walking off into the  sunset.  Whether it’s inviting us to visit Malta, Turkey, the Greek Islands or the Maldives, the final destination is almost interchangeable as it’s all based on the same consumer insight or creative treatment.

So it’s refreshing to see Tourism Queensland adopt a radically diifferent approach to make their modest marketing budget go that much further.

If you haven’t heard about this campaign yet you clearly love your job too much to even notice! Basically, instead of going down the traditional route, Tourism Queensland decided to place recruitment ads in various global media for a 6 month paid contract on Hamilton Island, describing it as ‘the best job in the world’.

Needless to say it wasn’t long before this campaign went viral.  What a great way to raise awareness of this beautiful destination whilst indirectly communicating the island’s key features. As an aside, I met a proctologist last week which must surely be the worst job in the world!  Given the choice, I think I’d much rather be a beach bum than a bum specialists!

Credit: Campaign created by Nitro

Fiat Eco:Drive campaign

The Fiat Eco:Drive system is an innovative application to help drivers reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions. Fiat drivers essentially have to download and install the Eco Drive Adobe Air application on their computers, sync a USB stick with the app and then plug the stick into the Fiat’s Blue and Me port. After driving somewhere, you can plug the USB stick back into your computer to upload all your driving data, whereupon it’s analysed to give you recommendations on how to improve your driving habits and ultimately your fuel efficiency.

Credit: AKQA London, UK

Warner Brothers ‘Why So Serious’ campaign for Dark Knight

I’ve always been fascinated with Alternative Reality Games ever since McKinney’s ground breaking Audi Heist a few years ago.  The amount of preparation, organisation and planning which goes into these sorts of campaigns  is absolutely mind-boggling and I particularly love the way it blurs the lines between the virtual world and reality.

For the launch of the film Dark Knight, Warner Brothers launched a meticulous ARG campaign to build buzz around the film, engaging 10 million participants in the process. Rather than try to explain it here, your best bet is to watch this video. Pure genius.