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Interesting paradox of happiness: we seek to control our lives, but the unfamiliar and the unexpected are important sources of happiness.
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RT @danmartell: Working at a startup is an opportunity, not a job.
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Shared 2012-05-19.
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Looking for a nice way to create an infographic? Try http://t.co/3CR2mzY1
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RT @mcgarrybowen: Pin more, buy more, spend more: proof Pinterest is driving sales (via @fastcompany): http://t.co/ECXORH02
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RT @malcolmvenable: Meanwhile, can we talk about all the great outfits happening at #Planningness? These are the best dressed nerds aliv ...
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Awesome peeps I met @Planningness: @marklewis_sf @CultrDig @asnitow @CultureBrain @danielberkal @amandakrue @balindsieber @clarissakh #ff
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Checked in at Viceroy Santa Monica
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Living is about human connection, not digital experiences. Make digital the means, not an end. #positivechange #planningness
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The internet is for people. It's not about mass information it's about mass synchcronization. #positivechange #planningness
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I just became the mayor of Planning-ness 2012 on @foursquare! http://t.co/eS9zvMO6
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Checked in at Planning-ness 2012
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Checked in at Hotel Shangri La Rooftop Bar
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Curious how the internet of things is creating #positivechange? Check out fitbit, nest thermostat, and air quality egg. #planningness
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Only expectation beating experiences generate brand love. Let's move from messages to services. #positivechange #planningness
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Creative briefs are made for messaging, but people want inventions to engage with, not another piece of content to gawk at. #planningness
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"Path to meaningful work & happiness: good work that adds value to society and makes you money." #positivechange #planningness
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"Let's study Gross Domestic Happiness, not Gross Domestic Product." #positivechange #planningness
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Here at #planningness to get excited and make things! (@ Planning-ness 2012) [pic]: http://t.co/zTSSIKgb
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Checked in at Planning-ness 2012
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Checked in at Hotel Shangri La Rooftop Bar
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Checked in at dw+h
MINI Countryman Motors – March 2011
Intro
For the first time ever, the Effie organization created a brand challenge competition just for college students. The assignment was to create an integrated, multichannel marketing campaign to drive awareness and consideration of the new MINI Countryman among 20 to 30-year-olds. Working with two other advertising students, I conducted research, set campaign objectives and created a campaign to position the Countryman as a bigger MINI for bigger experiences.
Context
As the biggest MINI ever, the Countryman stretches 15.7 inches beyond the Cooper. It is a four-door crossover vehicle with all-wheel drive option. These specifications make the Countryman a practical vehicle for 90% of drivers. In a market where small SUVs and Crossovers out sell cars 3 to 1, the Countryman fleshes out MINI’s product line by going bigger. Now, with the launch of the Countryman in 2011, MINI has the opportunity to win prospects that have rejected the brand in the past because of its size.
Research
After conducting a digital ethnography of MINI online communities and monitoring social media, we discovered that MINI attracts a certain type of person: progressive, unconventional and vibrant. MINI owners are not wallflowers, they are individuals who define success on their own terms and enjoy standing out in a crowd. MINI owners believe their car is a fashion statement and an expression of a lifestyle. And, enthusiasts build communities around their MINIs on online message boards, fan sites and at local race tracks. To be a MINI owner is to be a part of a community that celebrates individuality. In focus groups with the target we identified an important segment, which we identified as Metropolitan Adventures. The Countryman appeals to this segment because they seek to mix fun and practicality. And, the size and design of the Countryman is perfect for just that.
Research methods: Iconoculture, Simmons, online monitoring, one-on-one interviews, focus groups.
Discovery
The target believes that an automobile is like a significant other. You are attracted to it, form an emotional connection and take care of it. You don’t hide a car you are attracted to, you show it off.
Strategy
The Countryman is a perfect match of practicality and fun that enhances the lifestyle of Metropolitan Adventurers.
Creative Brief
Key fact: The Countryman is the largest MINI ever.
Problem: There is no awareness of the Countryman.
Objectives:
• Establish awareness of the Countryman as a new MINI model among Metropolitan Adventurers.
• Create comprehension of key differentiators for MINI: ultra customizable, distinctive car with personality, among Metropolitan Adventurers.
• Create knowledge of the Countryman’s bigger size and all-wheel drive option among Metropolitan Adventurers.
Target: Metropolitan Adventurers, professionals ages 25-40. They are outgoing and ambitious, have a strong sense of self and a passion for recreation. And, they want a car that engages with their life and compliments their style. Whether a single veterinarian living in a downtown loft, or the head of a four-person household in suburbia, Metropolitan Adventurers seek to mix fun and practicality.
Insight: I’m up for adventures but I’m also constantly trying to find a balance between what’s fun and what’s practical.
Promise: The Countryman is a one-of-a-kind personalized vehicle that is jaunty for the city and brawny for the country.
Support:
• Biggest MINI ever.
• Four-door.
• AWD option.
• Iconic British design.
• German engineering and power.
• Modular rail system.
• 10 million+ color and accessory variations customizable online.
Creative
Creative reel / case study
Billboard
TV
iAd
Result
Just like the regular Effies, panels of judges from leading agencies and corporations scored my team’s written strategic brief and creative reel. Then, we were notified that we had been selected as one of two finalists to present our campaign to MINI USA’s marketing team, AOR BSSP, digital agency Beam and Effie Worldwide staff. The pitch lasted an hour, and when all was done my team walked away with a collegiate Effie!