A variety of different marketing strategies are available in the creation of an outstanding marketing campaign and, more often than not, campaigns will be an aggregate of various ideas and options that come together in generating the largest impact and best ROI.

The one key aspect in all great campaigns is the ability to create a lasting impression and be remembered. How can nontraditional marketing be both cost-effective and memorable? Implement a campaign that is so good, people will have to share it with their networks.

The first step in creating a memorable nontraditional marketing campaign is considering the consumer experience. When people are able to interact with a product or brand in an intriguing way, it leaves a lasting impression. One of the perks of guerrilla marketing is that this interaction can be practically anywhere — from a crosswalk turned into piano keys to a projected advertisement.

From this experience, consumers can, and often do, generate hype about a campaign and its brand. One phone call, text, photo, video or tweet can lead to exposure at unprecedented rates. The initial campaign may only directly impact a certain number of people; however, as content is shared and grows to be viral, the number of lasting impressions garnered can be exponential.

The buzz around your campaign can start by being shared between friends and colleagues, posting a write-up on a well-known blog, or even being picked up by a national news source; the key is to get people talking about your campaign and associating it with the brand.

A mind-blowing experience is worth at a thousand words. Connect with us at 206.599.9855 and let’s make it happen.

Image Source: Ads of the World

Earlier this year, Twitter announced a mobile video app called Vine that allows users to create and share six-second (or less) looping videos. Since then, Vine has topped the list of free iPhone apps as individuals and brands begin to embrace this emerging network.

Six seconds may seem to be a very short period of time, but in a world that reads information in 140 characters or less, the amount of data that can be communicated within such limitations can be surprising.

For example, some brands have used the platform to generate mini-ads. Trident, General Electric and Ritz have all incorporated Vine into their social media marketing mix.

Other organizations have used Vine to provide followers with  “behind-the-scenes” insights; this is especially popular among sports organizations. The Dodgers and Mariners both have adopted the technology to extend the fan experience beyond game days.

Red Square Agency pulled off a brilliant Valentine’s Day campaign asking for people to submit requests for “Valenvines” that were created and produced using the Vine app.

One of the biggest benefits of Vine is that it is fully integrated with Twitter, embedding the videos in tweets and allowing users to share videos outside the app. Vine’s recent incorporation of hashtags now allows users to optimize videos, making it easier to discover content and aggregate similar videos.

Is Vine the next Instagram success? It is very possible, especially considering it is already backed by a social media giant. Several brands and organizations have begun to incorporate Vine into their strategy as another way to creatively present a product or information, and have a bit of fun while at it.

It’s no secret that advertisers are looking for new, innovative ways to capture the attention of their audiences. After all, it’s what we are in the business of doing. However, in recent years, some people have claimed they are beginning to be assaulted by ads. This constant incorporation of advertising into new locations and different aspects of daily life has come to be known as “ad creep.”

By definition, most nontraditional marketing and advertising campaigns aim to incorporate a non-conventional “surprise” factor. This could include a promotional image being projected on the side of a building or temporary pop-up displays.

However, sometimes advertisers can take it too far and step into that “taking it too far” category. Here are three examples of what not to do to avoid being an abusive advertiser:

1. Transforming Your Audience into Walking Advertisements, Without Permission

The point of brand ambassadors is to generate positive buzz about your brand. In the example above, text promoting a clothing sale was imprinted on the back of the legs when people would sit on park benches and other surfaces. Forcing unsuspecting people to now become ambassadors has the huge potential to backfire. One social media post is all it takes to generate at PR nightmare.

2. Intruding on Your Audience’s Privacy

ADT Chile

One important element in establishing a relationship with your consumer is trust, because after cultivating this trust, customers are more likely to remain loyal to your brand. ADT slid pop-up boxes under apartment doors to demonstrate the vulnerability of an apartment being broken-in. Without knowing how these boxes were placed inside, it is reasonable to assume that the residents felt as if their personal space was not only violated, but upset at the fact that it appeared as though advertisers broke into their homes for the sake of brand exposure.

3. Interfering with Personal Property

Imagine, returning to your car with armful of groceries and seeing your window shattered or tagged with graffiti. Even if it turned out to be a rouse, it’s doubtful you would be very happy that you were fooled. Avoid damaging, or the even creating the appearance of damaging, personal property if you want you audience to be receptive. Like your mother always reminded you, first impressions do matter; don’t let your first interaction with your target audience be distracted by anger.

Nontraditional marketing campaigns can be highly effective and buzz worthy when executed correctly. When planning, be sure to consider all elements of your campaign and keep in mind the audience’s perception as well.

Link: http://www.buzzfeed.com/copyranter/ad-creep-creep-is-getting-creepier

According to a recent consumer study, shoppers are forecasted to devote a larger share of their budgets to brands that promote sustainability (Ryan Partnership Chicago and Mambo Sprouts Marketing, 2011). If eco-consciousness weighs so heavily on in-store decision-making, it’s only natural for brands to step up and create ads that reflect sustainable practices and influence choices before a shopper steps foot inside the automatic sliding doors.

A number of brands have already made great strides in embracing “green-vertising” on both smaller and larger platforms. While simple eco-friendly advertising methods could include switching from flyer distribution to outdoor LED projections and using recycled materials to create promotional items, companies such as Coca-Cola® and Tropicana have taken the concept a step further.

In June 2011, Coca-Cola introduced the world’s first living billboard. In conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund, the brand unveiled a 60’x60’ billboard in the Philippines made of recycled Coca-Cola products and covered with 3,600, CO² absorbing, Fukien tea plants. The goal of the installation was to promote the Coca-Cola Live Positively program, which focuses on encouraging social responsibility and adopting sustainable practices.

Read more here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/28/coca-cola-plant-billboard_n_886192.html

In April 2011, Tropicana and DDB Paris installed a billboard, on a busy street in Paris, which was composed of, and powered by, over 2,500 oranges as a part of the brand’s Natural Energy campaign. Bearing sustainability in mind, at the end of the installation, the oranges were donated for use as compost or for the creation of biogas.

Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_zoHUykPi4

Some of our favorite environmentally friendly advertising techniques include reverse graffiti (where advertisers pressure wash an image/message onto sidewalks, tunnel walls, etc.), rake advertising (where a team of artists etches an image/message onto a beachfront) and sky typing (where computer-generated bursts of smoke are emitted to create perfectly formed messages in the sky).

We hope that this article provides you with inspiration. Give thought to different mediums, don’t limit yourself to traditional advertising and remember that everything has the potential to become a canvas for your next eco-friendly campaign.

Sick of checking your social media pages and being bombarded with picture upon picture of your friend’s annoying baby? Tired of incessant posts about each and every person’s opinion on politics? Wish there was a way to block it all out? Now, there’s a solution for you!

Browser plug-ins such as Unbaby.me and Unpolitic.me (offered through Google Chrome) can be download and customized to recognize those pesky political posts or potty training progress reports and replace them with things that are awesome…such as adorable kittens, pugs, bacon or scantily clad ladies.

Combined, the plug-ins currently have over 44,000 users and hundreds of positive reviews.

Of Unpolitic.me, one satisfied user said, “Worked right out of the box. First political post I came across was replaced with a Katy Perry picture. It warmed my heart.”

Another grateful downloader had this to say about the Unbaby.me plug-in – “This is absolutely brilliant. Saving me from blocking my friends’ feeds or going insane from baby picture overload.”

Interested in purging your online browsing experience of political insights and child rearing routines? Download the plug-ins here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/unbabyme/dkigkllnlkoblfbgfnfngfcnhmndonjm