Kathryn Schlieben | MSN Product Specialist EMEA

Over the summer, Dina posted here on the shift of power to the consumer (“Long Live the King“).  One campaign mentioned is the current “Do Us a Flavour” from Walkers crisps.  The campaign gives consumers a chance to suggest a new flavour for Walkers crisps and if chosen win £50,000 and 1% of future royalties for the flavour.  Walkers recently shared some of their results and amazingly have achieved four times the exceeded target of 250,000 entries with a total of 1.1 million so far!  Six of the top flavours will be produced beginning in January 2009 and the winner chosen in May.  What is staggering is not only the participation in this campaign (users spending an average of 9 minutes on the site!) but its longevity.  This campaign has fantastic staying power because it involves the consumer in so many ways - as a creator, a tester, and a selector.  Truly, these are the kind of results any marketer would be hungry for.

Kathryn Schlieben | MSN Product Specialist EMEA

This week I had the good fortune to be invited to a conference for the Unilever skin brands in Europe.  As I looked around the room at many of the products on display I realised how many of them I use or have used over the years. 

One of the other external presenters was Trevor Johnson from Facebook.  Trevor spoke about how to use social media particularly to build communities around a brand.  Over lunch I had a lively discussion with some of the Unilever folks about the power of a recommendation and how to get people to act as ambassadors for a brand by recommending it to their friends.  A big demographic for these Unilever brands is mums.  It made me think back to my own mother and how without even knowing it, she acted as a brand ambassador for Unilever brands when I was a child. I remember her seeking out and specifically buying Dove soap bars.  Later, when liquid shower gel came about I moved on to Dove from a bottle.  I still use Dove body wash to this day and when I visit my mother’s house she still has a bar of Dove soap (sensitive skin!) on hand.  Her endorsement of Dove has stayed with me for a lifetime.  My own personal example is hardly scientific but I think it encapsulates the power a recommendation can have when it comes from a trusted source like a friend or family member.  And who better to trust than Mum.

Kathryn Schlieben | MSN Product Specialist EMEA

In preparing for a presentation I am making on video to a customer with a largely female target audience I was reminded that the explosion in online video viewing is not the same for all demographics.  In researching female online video viewers I came across Jupiter Research’s 2007 US Online Consumer Survey.  The survey showed that the percentage of online users watching video online is not the same for all segments of the online population.  Once we go beyond the core 18-24 year olds, the % of females watching video online is dramatically below the % of their male counterparts. Among 25-34 year olds, only 57% of online females watched video online compared to 78% of online males. 

For advertisers, this represents a golden opportunity to attract women to online video while at the same time participating in activity with their brands.  We’ve seen some female audiences served well – teens in particular (look at Bebo’s “Kate Modern” and “Sofia’s Diary“).  Some of the same learnings can be used to attract women in older audience segments.  Unilever has demonstrated this incredibly well with “In the Motherhood”. 

The first step is understanding how women are engaged with online video now.  Microsoft’s “3 Screens” qualitative research conducted earlier in the year provides some insight on this.  For example, we have the case of a working mum who watches one of her daughter’s favourite daytime television shows online in the evening. They can still have a bond over this programming despite it airing while she is at work.  Many mums look to online video for “me time” but as in this example also use it to facilitate shared experiences and family bonding. 

With all of the recent talk around growth factors for online video, it is worth pointing out once more that activating a currently underserved audience like this is unlocking a goldmine for brands.

Kathryn Schlieben | MSN Product Specialist EMEA

Is anyone else wondering where the heck September went?  It certainly came and went like a tidal wave.  As for me, I was happily back on the road visiting customers and agencies around Europe.  In Spain, the topic on everyone’s minds was VIDEO.  What impressed me in my meetings in Spain was the enthusiasm of the online and offline agencies and their clients.  I didn’t have to press too hard when convincing them that online video viewing is now a mainstream activity.  This happily means we spent more time talking about capabilities and success! 

Emarketer’s latest Video Advertising Online report discusses video advertising specifically and how/when it will catch up with the growth of online video viewing.  (Check out excerpts on their site, but the full report is worth a thorough read.)  One factor that comes through loud and clear is QUALITY.  This same word came up repeatedly in my meetings with customers.  From a publisher’s perspective, premium/professional content can command a much higher CPM than user generated/uploaded.  In general the standard of the content is higher and so gives the advertiser a greater level of comfort in the audience it will attract and the environment it will provide for their brand. 

Still, we’re seeing advertisers take matters into their own hands and having a part in the creation of that premium content they are so excited to be associated with.  We recently released a case study from Color Line Cruises that does just that.  Color Line worked with MSN and our partner Control Room to stage a live A-ha concert that was streamed live on MSN and on demand post-event.  The new liner was featured as the back drop to the concert.  How is that for product placement?!  And the results were incredible – 123,000 people watched the concert (post-event) and 12,000 entered the competition to win a luxury cruise.  That’s a 10% conversion.  It’s worth noting that 22,000 people watched the event live online.  So the internet really gave the activity longevity as people could watch live or on demand afterwards and most importantly, take action!

This is the kind of example that really excited clients and agencies.  Not only did the campaign work for Color Line but it also demonstrates how powerful online video can be when the content is premium and publishers, online and offline teams, and clients work together.

Kathryn Schlieben | MSN Product Specialist EMEA

The latest Jupiter Research report, “Video Advertising in Europe”, will hopefully help put the scaremongering about the “death of the preroll” to an end.  I highly recommend reading the report and the wonderful AdAge coverage of the report’s release.  For now, I’ll draw your attention to the most juicy part (my opinion):

“Netherlands-based video-content network Zoom.in reports that 17% of its 15-second preroll ads are abandoned before completion. U.S.-based video ad network Tremor Media, which plans to launch in Europe next year, says 20% of its 15-second preroll ads are abandoned before completion. By comparison, many sites report that at least 10% of users abandon videos within 15 seconds even when there is no preroll ad. Mr. Elliott said, “Half the people that leave because of the ad would have left because of the content anyway. It’s like flicking through channels on TV.”

This research puts the argument that prerolls make viewers tune out into perspective. 

Of course, this is an opportunity to highlight again the importance of the quality of the preroll. Recommendations include limiting the preroll to a max 15 seconds (and 10 seconds results in even lower drop off rates!), ensuring the creative is interesting to watch, and trying to achieve one ad for every 2.5 short-form clips max.  Jupiter suggests that quality prerolls shown at no more than this duration should only cause drop off of 5% or less of its visitors.

Surely, this is an acceptable sacrifice for sites who are able to monetise effectively thus making the content free for the other 95% of people who visit their sites?!

Kathryn Schlieben | MSN Product Specialist EMEA

Recently, I shared a viral video from Caterer.com featuring a foul-mouthed childhood version of Gordon Ramsay. It sparked a bit of conversation around brands taking risks.  Even more recently the advertising world was set alight by one of its most consistent risk takers, Calvin Klein. Their latest fragrance launch, Secret Obsession, features a nearly naked Eva Mendes and very briefly violates the decency thresholds of the big American broadcasters who are refusing to air it.

Some cable networks will only air an edited advert after 9pm but the ad will air in full in many countries abroad. It’s already all over YouTube in various forms with 10,000’s of views.This is certainly not the first time a brand has pushed the boundaries in such a way. Heck, it’s not even the first time Calvin Klein has tried this tactic.

Controversy can produce results. Think back to 1990 when Madonna released her “Justify My Love” video as the first single from her Immaculate Collection greatest hits album. (Ahhh, the music video – a wonderful example of advertainment.) MTV in the US banned the video and the single catapulted to the top of the charts becoming the best-selling video single EVER. This was before the days of music downloads. You know, when we actually had to get up and go to a physical store to buy music.
Thousands of us are now aware of the new fragrance in advance of the start of the campaign. This campaign is making news internationally – in markets that were going to see the unedited version anyway.  In the UK, Vogue.com will carry the ad exclusively prior to the full UK launch and offer web users fragrance sampling.

My question is, do we care enough to walk into a department store (or airport duty free for some of us!) for a whiff?

Kathryn Schlieben | MSN Product Specialist EMEA

If you’re like me you’ve been eagerly awaiting this summer’s Olympic games. Anticipation of these games has been so high – what could possibly make the games any more interesting than they already are?? A monkey guide, that’s what! Monkey is the figurehead for the BBC’s coverage of the Olympic games. He is first presented in an animated short featuring him and his mates Pigsy and Sandy en route to the Olympic stadium in Beijing. To see the video click here.

Aside from thinking this is a great piece of original content, I’m even more impressed by the follow through of Monkey as my personal guide to the Olympics in the form of a desktop gadget.

The gadget is customisable so you can surface news related to your top 5 favourite events plus the general coverage. This helps to navigate the tremendous amount of coverage to get to what is most relevant to you. What a fantastic way to make content accessible. All of this means that despite the time difference between the UK and Beijing, I’ll stay up-to-the minute on every somersault, dive, and goal. I’m hooked. I can’t resist – Monkey is so cool he even has his very own Windows Live Space.

Kathryn Schlieben | MSN Product Specialist EMEA

I commented earlier in the week on Gavin Heaton’s “Servant of Chaos” blog on the “Where the Hell is the Sponsor” post. Gavin mentions his P-L-A-Y framework in reference to a powerful viral effort sponsored by Stride Gum.

The Y in the framework is for “yelp of surprise and delight”. Here’s a very recent viral ad from Caterer.com, an online recruitment portal for the hospitality industry, featuring Gordon Ramsay as a child.

The campaign received 8000 views in its first day posted on YouTube and as of this writing has a tally of over 16,000 views.

I certainly let out a yelp when I first viewed it (and then sent it to 10 friends) so imagine the impact it’s having among their target market!

Kathryn Schlieben | MSN Product Specialist EMEA

My pal Dean Donaldson at Eyeblaster has been keeping me honest lately. I asked Dean for the latest and greatest Eyeblaster benchmarks mentioning click through rates. Rightly so, Dean corrected me that there is much much more to effectiveness than the click. As a former rich media guru myself, I should know better than that.
No one would blame you for being seduced by hot rich media creative like this wallpaper for EA Games “Burnout Paradise” that ran on MSN Entertainment in France.
As we’re staring a tough economy and stricter marketing budgets in the face it’s even more important to see the substance behind all of this style. Eyeblaster has done some really interesting research around rich media’s impact on conversions and most recently have rolled out their “Creative, Meet Analytics” guide for designing ads for measurable success.
Back on the topic of clicks, Eyeblaster reminds us of what a click means and why it shouldn’t, and truthfully can’t, be the end all be all:

A good reminder for us all especially as Jupiter Research predicts that by 2012 over 50% of all online display advertising will be rich media or video…

Kathryn Schlieben | MSN Product Specialist EMEA

This past year I was planning a wedding in Canada while living here in the UK. I simply cannot imagine planning the event without the internet. It would have been impossible. Simply being able to email venues, florists, photographers, etc made it so much easier from a different time zone. Nearly every vendor I dealt with had a web presence with photos, videos, 360 degree tours of the hotels and were more than happy to work with me virtually.

Aside from the convenience the web brought to my wedding planning it was really interesting to be in a new demographic during the period of my engagement.

Specifically, I remember ads in Facebook targeted to me as an “Engaged” person. Ads for wedding insurance and honeymoon destinations very helpfully appeared.

Now that I’m married, I’ve changed my profile and most recently saw this ad displayed on my profile page:

I’m not suggesting that Facebook ads are poorly targeted, but rather is someone trying to tell me that getting married is the beginning of the end??

Back to basics

This week I began mentoring a colleague who is quite new to the industry. We talked about display ad serving technology. I assumed that she already knows things that I take for granted, like how an impression is counted. She didn’t and it turned out to be a wonderful opportunity to explain something fundamental but very important. This got me thinking – are we doing enough to educate those joining the digital marketing world on the basics? There is certainly no shortage of information out there for those wishing to embark on self study – but where to begin? I find our industry conferences, panels, publications, and seminars assume a base level of knowledge on the industry. On day one, new hires are thrown terms and countless acronyms (that let’s face it, even those of us in the industry struggle to remember at times).

How do we expect them to be successful in the long term without ensuring that they understand the fundamentals? The IAB UK offers internet marketing courses for a fee. Some agencies, media owners, and technology providers offer training to employees and clients. But what about organizations who don’t have these types of resources? Don’t we all as digital professionals have a responsibility to enable the success of our new hires? It could be as easy as spending a couple hours to answer questions and direct them to information.
I’m interested in hearing what others are doing in this area so look forward to reading comments on this!

Kathryn Schlieben

Marc kindly introduced me as Mrs. MSN and it’s true. As the MSN Product Specialist for EMEA, advertising opportunities around the portal are what I live and breathe every day. This year has been particularly exciting as we’ve rolled out MSN Video across the region and I’ve been fortunate to engage with many brands and agencies on the explosion of online video. So for my first post of the summer, here are a few thoughts on this exciting topic…

I get a lot of questions from our customers around the appropriate time and way to use video advertising. Of course, there is no magic answer. There are a wide range of possibilities presented by online video. Video ad formats come to mind most easily – in-banner rich media, in-stream (pre, post, mid-rolls), overlays. As these formats increase in prevalence agencies and brands are more confident using them. Where I see greater uncertainty is around showcasing a brand’s own content, sponsoring content, or user-generated content. The rule of thumb I recommend is to pursue video as the central idea for a campaign when it is the best possible medium for conveying your message. Video for video’s sake just doesn’t work. The online audience, consumers, are the ultimate judge of whether a video solution is effective. And they will make their judgement known by choosing to participate or not.

Here’s an example of video done right…

In Spain we currently have a campaign running for Mahou Mixta. (Type in your age to enter the site.)

Here Mahou are using their commercials as content. A site was built showcasing all the videos for the Mixta promotion. Users can vote and comment on the videos, forward them, etc. The intent was to leverage the great TV assets Mahou has and provide an interactive experience around them. So, is it successful? Well, in this case it seems the audience have passed their judgement and their engagement has been overwhelmingly positive. This is definitely a case of video being effectively used as the central idea for a campaign, around which all of the other elements are built – and the strategy is validated by the audience being on board.

As for me, well I have to respect anyone who will dance foolishly in public so this Mixta ad has my vote – Inexplicable.

Thats it: I’m off till September. Taking a long-desired sabbatical break. To disconnect from hectic working days, reconnect with myself and enjoy quiet and inspiring holidays in beautiful Tuscany & France with my family. I was thinking about this blog and the thousands of people waiting anxiously day by day to get some content on the Nightshift. And I realized I was not going to be in much of a mood to talk digital marketing out of Tuscany. So what I did was: I asked some of my team members to contribute to Nightshift while I’m away. Not sure why, but they all eagerly said yes and felt like lucky winners and willing to show & share you their deepest thoughts on their working area. They will keep up the conversation on my blog – and I am very gratefull for that. Let me introduce you to them before I dash off.

• Daniel Dixon: he knows Windows Life services inside out. The expert on social networking, bots and widgets – moves slower than his shadow but thinks quicker than our bots.
• James Rothwell – mister Direct Response. Our performance expert. The click is not what it used to be – but James optimiser brings you relief.
• Dina Gowar – Mrs FMCG – she talks fast mover, she consumes goods and is so eager to become a subject matter expert on diapers she went all the way to achieve that status. Aways pregnant of lots of ideas she’ll certainly share with you.
• Alexandra Thompson – Not nonstop fernando but ‘non stop Alex’. Our subject matter expert on the telco & technology sector. Stay connected – she’ll probably write you a book. 
• Kathryn Schlieben – Mrs MSN. Content is king, she says. And Video everywhere. Stream me and I’ll be happy.
• David Pugh-Jones, Creative Strategist. Famous and now even in Cannes panel debates. He has the look of the creative director but is really as smart as he looks like. Perception is reality for sure.   
• Tom Hosking – In gaming is his profession and he likes to take his work back home. Gaming all day: some call it a job.

The Get Inspired Here team will probably also be contributing in one form or the other. And while we are at it: two video shots we did in Cannes : 

Have fun guys – have a lovely summer and see you in september? And  certainly stay tuned !!