WHAT IS IT THAT CREATES AMBIENT SATISFACTION?
In 2004 Rolling Stone Magazine released a list of the ‘500 Greatest Songs of all time.’ In second position was ‘Satisfaction’ by the Rolling Stones. It is a fact that it takes only two notes for your brain to recognise this song. Two notes. This is regardless of whether you’re a diehard fan or if you’d like to staple Mick’s lips together given the chance. So what’s the point of all this? The power of familiarity.
When you add a message to something that’s familiar you’ve got a direct channel from the vessel to your consumer’s brain. This ‘vessel’ is what separates ambient media from its traditional counterparts but it is the ‘message’ that allows media companies to really stretch their creative legs.
Consumers are now very much in control of the messages they consume, which means that advertisers can no longer rely on mass spoon-feed messages. Advertisers and agencies have had to take note and evolve both with the ever changing landscape around them and with changing habits of consumers in order to explore the options beyond traditional solutions
SO WHAT IS IT THAT CREATES AMBIENT SATISFACTION?*
Ambient style campaigns allow for a level of interaction that is beyond the reach of traditional media. The message is closer to home and reiterates that the consumer is not just a speck in the crowd.
I believe it all begins with a powerful strategy joined at the hip by creativity, big ideas and innovative design, which is vitally important to a successful campaign. Only once an execution begins to sing should you look to activate your media in the ambient space.
In the café media space, coffee shops and restaurants, we are able to approach advertising with a creative playfulness.
We aim to engage and to be interactive with our messages. A recent campaign for Ray-Ban illustrates this level of interaction. On the lookout for the next generation of cool Ray-Ban chose a familiar environment, the coffee shop, as the launch pad for their latest collection of sunglasses. They branded coffee cups sleeves with a pair of perforated paper sunglasses and distributed them across coffee shops on SA’s top university campuses. Students got to try on the new styles and took photos of themselves wearing the paper shades, which they uploaded to Facebook, to stand in line to win a pair of sunglasses.
In the words of Seth Godin, “‘Everything we know today is out of date tomorrow” so seek to find the right environment where there is an opportunity for a brand to speak and if executed properly, the message will move “‘like a rolling stone”, which by the way is song number one on the list.
Source, Advantage Magazine.
Clinique know what every go-getting girl needs to get through the day – a good cup of coffee and a reliable foundation. They also know that determining the right foundation takes time, time that could otherwise be spent snapping the day into shape.
To launch their new range of Foundation Shades for Africa, Clinique have joined forces with Seattle in a campaign that takes the fuss out of choosing the perfect foundation by allowing customers to determine their ideal shade while sipping their coffee. The campaign, devised by coffee media specialists, Tag 8 Media, employs a take away coffee cup sleeve with a range of 15 foundation shades. Each shade contains a die cut hole allowing the customer to match her skin tone with the ideal foundation shade on the sleeve simply by slipping the sleeve over her arm. Once the customer has chosen their ideal shade they are invited to visit the nearest Clinique counter where they will receive a free 7-day sample and consultation.
This coffee media campaign is a branch of Clinique’s nationwide campaign to promote their ‘New Shades of Africa’ foundation range, which also includes television and magazine advertisements and viral advertising via Facebook and Twitter. To find out more visit http://www.facebook.com/CliniqueSouthAfrica
Samsung has teamed up with Kauai and alternative media specialists, Tag 8, in an exciting three-phased campaign to promote the new Samsung Galaxy with Android Smart Phone. The campaign kicked off with a simple teaser that posed the question, “How smart is your phone?”, and encouraged customers to visit Samsung’s Facebook page to find out more about the Smart Phone Challenge.
The second phase of the campaign sought to inform customers of Samsung Galaxy’s unbeatable app offering. Samsung Galaxy with Android has proven to have more free apps than any of its competitors, and customers were invited to visit Facebook to learn more about this remarkable phone.
In keeping with Kauai’s fresh and healthy offering, the artwork for the campaign included a play on apple and blackberry fruit. Kauai has over 41 stores nationwide with a loyal following of informed food lovers who appreciate a healthy lifestyle. These health-savvy individuals were the audience to which Samsung aired its exciting news.
The campaign finale launches in July and is set to unveil Samsung’s new secret weapon. Visit a Kauai store or follow this link to their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/SmartPhoneChallenge to find out more.
Leading insurers, Santam, have teamed up with Tag 8 Media to promote their exciting new Graduate Accelerate Program. The program is aimed at young ambitious thinkers who have a bright future in mind and involves the opportunity for a 2-year immersion into all aspects of business at Santam. To promote the program Tag 8 Media activated a campaign in university coffee shops across the country targeting young, bright minds using coffee cup lid stickers. The stickers direct students to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube where they can find out more about Santam’s Graduate Accelerate Program and how they can get involved. To find out more visit http://www.facebook.com/santamgap#!/santamgap?sk=wall.
Kings of cool, Ray-Ban, have turned up the heat with an innovative media concept that combines two essentials of everyday living – a good cup of coffee and a pair of Wayfarers.
Looking to make an impression at their media day, Ray-ban teamed up with coffee media specialists, Tag 8 Media, for an alternative branding solution. In line with the Ray-ban Never Hide Frame campaign, Tag 8 developed a coffee cup sleeve featuring a pair of wayfarer sunglasses that could be removed from the sleeve of their cup of Truth coffee and tried on. Clients were given the opportunity to have a picture taken wearing the pop-out sunglasses in front of the Never Hide frame to give an idea of the suitability of the style. Clients were also encouraged to submit their photos via email to stand in line to win a Ray-Ban sponsorship.
‘Rayban prides itself on innovation targeting the young, brave and nonconformist consumer. We are always looking for original ways to engage with our market and Tag 8 Media proved to be the perfect solution ’ Thera vant Hof – Rayban /Luxottica Brand Manager
You never can tell when a good brand idea might pop into your mind. It could be between courses at a dinner party or midway through mowing the lawn. It could be in the quiet moments before you drift off to sleep or bright and early when the sparrows awake. Despite when it is that these ideas arise, turning them into a reality has just got a whole lot easier. Gone are the days of trying to elucidate your ideas to someone else only to wait a year for them to come to life. Now you can create your brand material and send them to print from the comfort of your home, any time, day or night.
HP Print Station has brought online a cost-effective branding solution that incorporates marketing and design expertise and superb printing and imaging. Available 24 hours a day, the online print station allows you to develop brand materials from business cards to brochures, letterheads to flyers, easily and efficiently. Customisable templates and support with design and conceptualization allow for a user-friendly experience that is further enhanced by the fact that your materials are sent to you in the post.
To publicise HP Print Station’s new offering, they have partnered with Colourworks and Tag 8 Media who have activated an exciting promotional campaign across Seattle stores nationwide using posters, takeaway sleeves and coffee cup tags. Both the takeaway sleeves and tags bear a business card-like design with information about the new offering and a promotional print discount that the consumer can keep and redeem at a later stage. The ingenuity of the business card design is an excellent example of the brand alignment that Tag 8 offers. For more information visit www.hpprintstation.com.
“HP identified the need to offer convenience through quality designs & prints so business owners can focus on their core business. Perfect, eye-catching marketing materials are available at a click of a finger – you impress your customers!”
Boitumelo Tumi Dolamo
HP Print Station Program Manager
Hewlett-Packard South Africa
Ilovecoffee.co.za is all about coffee culture – the beans, the people, the places and the experience. Think of it, as an expedition to find the best coffee experiences South Africa has to offer, while meeting and introducing you to the people that make it all possible. The roasters, coffee shop owners, baristas, coffee lovers, heck, we might even speak to people who drink tea.
We think that the coffee experience is something to be shared and this is where our blog comes in. It is for coffee lovers by a coffee lover and is all about spilling the beans on the what, where and how. After all it wouldn’t be fair to keep it all to ourselves. We let you know the latest news. More specifically, news that will turn any coffee lover into a coffee aficionado!
While the whole ‘ignorance is bliss’ thing might do it for some, we think that the more you know the better. That’s why we have included an
A to Z of coffee: an ever-growing list of the many facets surrounding coffee. We also have a coffee map showing you where all the coffee hot spots are to make things a bit easier and make sure you are in the hottest places in your town!
Ilovecoffee.co.za is aimed at raising awareness of the growing coffee culture in South Africa by creating a platform where coffee fans can share vital coffee information with one another. We invite you to join our coffee community and to share your coffee experience with us – become a coffee lover and espresso yourself!
Visit www.ilovecoffee.co.za to join our community, become a Facebook Fan or follow us on Twitter!
We don’t know which brand is behind the Fans in Training virals but what we do know is that all the videos are: set in a gym; keeping fit is the main goal; and Sir Richard Branson is involved, watch him learn to blow a vuvuzela here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDQP31ORgjc&feature=channel
This also, straight from Branson’s mouth, “To celebrate and help the South African fans prepare, Virgin Active SA is launching ‘Training the Fans’, three football themed classes to ensure its fans are fan-fit so they can play their part in supporting their team.”
Figured it out yet?
Finally the big day has arrived – the much-anticipated launch of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. South Africans all across the country are alive with Football Fever, and in support of this Virgin Active has also kicked off an exciting campaign in Seattle stores across the country.
Seattle coffee customers awoke to a variety of bright and colourful in-store media from take-away coffee sleeves, to sit-down coffee tags and posters. The campaign let Seattle customers know about the new soccer themed classes at Virgin Active clubs, such as the Supa-Socca Circuit and Streaker Training. The media featured soccer themed images, from a red card-yielding referee to a super flexible soccer supporter!
“No matter who you are supporting during the World Cup, Seattle is a fantastic meeting point, to re-live the goals, dispute the ref’s decisions or just discuss which player has the best body!” says Richard Lamb-Hughes, Head of Brand and Marketing, Virgin Active South Africa.
Exciting times!
9 June 2010
With outdoor media gaining momentum and advertisers looking for alternative and innovative ways to capture their audience’s attention, the Out of Home Media South Africa (OHMSA) Awards were established. The 2009 awards ran from 1 October 2008 to 18 December 2009.
Tag 8 Media are proud to have been placed second in the Ambient Media category, for their Old Khaki sit-down coffee tag campaign in vida e caffe. Other categories included billboards; internally illuminated billboards; electronic billboards; airport advertising; retail / street furniture; mobile media; Africa’s Voice Award (best creative advert outside of South Africa’s borders) and the Student Award (brand new category).
Tag 8 Media are happy to be recognized by OHMSA. “It is a honor to get this level of recognition. We are a small company competing against major players, so to be placed second in the OHMSA awards gives us a push in the right direction”, says Kerryn Felt of Tag 8 Media.
“Our Tag 8 campaign was the most effective promotion we have run. It was successful in driving foot traffic to Old Khaki stores.” says Old Khaki brand manager, Candy Swart
“The Old Khaki concept is a great example of how brands can engage and interact in a fun and effective way in the coffee space.” says Andrew Franks of Tag 8 Media.
Go to http://www.biz-community.com/PressOffice/PressRelease.aspx?i=125361&ai=41156 to view the article on Biz Community.
NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION
Virgin Active and the Seattle Coffee Company start a movement.
‘On the 1st of January my exercise regime begins,’ is a New Year’s Resolution that usually lasts about as long as a New Year’s hangover. So, to encourage existing members – and recruit new ones – Virgin Active launched the ‘What Moves Me’ campaign. It features personal stories and inspiration from gym goers. Paul, for example, exercises to keep up with his much younger wife. Clare takes pride in ‘getting up off the couch’. Eric wants big muscles.
In partnership with alternative media company Tag 8, Virgin elected to run a campaign in Seattle Coffee Company outlets during January. Advertising on coffee cup sleeves, tags and WiFi showcased the ‘moving’ executions – and customers were offered a reduced gym joining-fee of R100. The ‘coffee audience’ is a very receptive one, with an average cup time of 21 minutes.
‘The opportunity to use this unique space in Seattle lets us chat directly to our coffee-drinking members and hopefully our future ones,’ says Richard Lamb-Hughes, Head of Brand and Marketing, Virgin Active South Africa.
Agrees Andrew Franks of Tag 8 Media: “We’re effectively aligning two ‘clubs’ together, the coffee aficionados and the gym enthusiasts. Both groups benefit from the relationship.”
Virgin Active’s ‘What Moves Me’ campaign runs in all Seattle Coffee Company outlets during January 2010. Find out more at www.virginactive.co.za.
Press Release:
*Coffee & Travel:
Win with Seattle and National Geographic Traveller magazine*
Tag 8 Media has brought coffee and travel together with an innovative marketing programme uniting National Geographic Traveller (NG Traveller) magazine and Seattle Coffee Company (Seattle) coffee aficionados.
In terms of the programme; customers who purchase the December issue of the magazine will be offered a free Seattle coffee, allowing them the opportunity to sit back, relax and read about exotic locations throughout the world while sipping on a dark roasted, premium Arabica coffee .
“NG Traveller and Tag 8 Media have worked closely with Seattle Coffee Company to bring coffee-loving readers together and to reward them over the festive season.” says Tag 8 Media Director, Andrew Franks.
In terms of the mechanics of the offer, the December issue of NG Traveller will have a ‘free coffee’ voucher attached to the cover, which readers will be able to redeem at Seattle for a coffee of their choice. The voucher also serves as an entry form for customers to stand a chance to win a coffee experience in London – the winner (and partner) will visit Seattle’s London-based roastery, while staying in two of Mantis’s 5-star London hotels.
The promotion is supported with a double page spread in NG Traveller, as well as point of sale posters and merchandising units in Seattle and select Exclusive Books stores, from which copies of NG Traveller will be sold.
The issue is on sale from the 9 December 2009.
Starting this September all Seattle Coffee Company customers will be able to book their next holiday while enjoying a cup of coffee. Lufthansa German Airlines have teamed up with Tag 8 media to create a holistic alternative media campaign across 35 Seattle coffee stores nationwide.
The campaign, which uses new media channel, Tag 8 table tops, coffee cup advertising and wi-fi, encourages Seattle coffee customers to register online where they can qualify for a R555 discount off the cost of their next Lufthansa ticket.
“The Lufthansa brand is internationally recognised for strong industry leadership, quality and innovation. By partnering with the Seattle chain of coffee shops across the country, we are affiliating ourselves to a company with similar values,” says Lufthansa’s southern and eastern Africa marketing manager, Evelyn Kidder. “We were very excited to find a supplier in the UK who produces patented high-tech, top quality tablewraps which we thought would be a funand novel way of promoting our message. Tag 8 Media have been fabulous in working with us and putting together a stunning campaign,” she continues.
The campaign, which breaks on the 15th September, will allow customers until the 15th December to register for the discount. Discount redemption has been staggered into three phases. In the first month, the reduction is valid for outbound from 1st October until 31st December. The following month extends the validity to 31st January and the last month of registration allows for outbound travel until 28th February 2010.
“Tag 8 tabletop media is using the patented tabletalk™, a first for the South African market which allows consumer advertising to be securely displayed on tabletops. Lufthansa’s tabletop message, together with marketing on Seattle coffee sleeves and tags, offers an incredibly unique opportunity for it to reach prospective travelers at a time when they are open and receptive to receiving marketing messages,” says Tag 8 Media director Andrew Franks.
With over 1.6 billion cups of coffee consumed everyday, it’s no wonder that coffee cup advertising is one of the fastest growing outdoor advertising segments.
