Back in 1984, Liam McCabe was the class wiseguy. The joke about the earliest example of elasticity being in the bible, where Jesus tied his ass to a bush and walked to Jerusalem? That was his. So too was a shiny Commodore 64, with its time-sucking superstars Pacman, Donkey Kong and Space Invaders, We worshipped them like false idols. Today it’s Bin Weevils and Club Penguin and Neopets. Plus ?a change.
Online gaming is serious biz for huge oldies like Lego and Barbie, and the trend goes both ways, with the likes of Stardoll and Moshi Monsters moving fluidly from your desktop to the shelves at Smyths. It’s social media with benefits, and not just for kids, as Farmville-addicted 40-somethings (or advertisers looking for new outlets) will tell you.
Is Foursquare useful? Hard to know. It’s still popular, despite threats from the other location-based apps like Facebook Places. Personally I feel they should’ve sold out double-quick to Yahoo! for that $125 million last year.
The collective wisdom here amongst io staffers is that if you’re going to do something with it, DO something with it. During last year’s Oktoberfest, Lufthansa customers who checked in to three Munich locations got €20 for their trouble. They got 7,050 checkins. As a local promo, job done.
#4
Thou shalt place Google+ on thy radar
Heat seekers will urge brands to get on Google+ quickly. Disregard them. They like apps that aren’t invented yet. But watch this space. Ok, Google+ for brands can’t do everything yet - you can’t post to a brand’s page, for instance, or start a discussion on a page as you can with Fb - but on the other hand, it will have G Search, Analytics, Maps and YouTube.
Facebook took two and a half years to hit 18 million fans. Google did it in three weeks. And when it’s fully up, your social media choice won’t have to look like a Facebook page.
#5
Thou shalt not use a QR code to redirect people to thy website
Like a Facebook relationship status, a QR code is complicated. Can it bring you and customers together? Possibly, but first off, do viewers have a mobile app that can read your code? Will they bother? Are they in a position where they actually can? I won’t name the watch brand whose ads in Dublin airport use QR codes, in an area where you’re not permitted to actually use your phone.
An io rule of thumb: make sure your QR code adds value for the viewer. Don’t just link back to your website, or worse, a flash site that an iPhone can’t display.
#6
Thou shalt crunch the numbers
The alternative to decent research is to spew waste into an already groaning web by not listening to what people
actually want.
Get some pointers at
tnsdigitallife.com which, says TNS, is the largest global study into people’s attitudes and behaviours online, based on conversations with over 72,000 people in 60 countries. It identifies ‘the precise strategies, channels and content that make digital a key driver in achieving growth.’
Well why dincha say! Have two kilos of Digital Life wrapped at once, for delivery by hansom carriage to my suite at io Digital Towers, where I shall apply it with all haste to my lovely clients’ projects.
THE PERFECT 10:
WHAT FOUR DIGITAL COMMANDMENTS ARE WE MISSING?
So we’ve written some new commandments for the digital age. Six so far. A few of the things that have helped us to translate online opportunities into rewards for our clients.
But commandments usually come in tens. What about the other four?
You tell us. What non-negotiable online rules do you live by, burned into the skin like the dragon on Kwai Chang Caine’s arm?
Write them in stone, then post a comment here or tweet them with the #10dc tag. We’ll add the most commanding four to our Digital Commandments blogpost.
YOUR COMMANDMENTS
"Definitely include Thou shalt not cross post. Same post on twitter, fb, linkedin, often from multiple accounts; big problem."
@patmcardle
"Basic, but 1) if someone addresses a question, post or tweet to you, answer them promptly and with care 2) don't grumble or moan."
@wordhoarding
"on the Internet no-one knows you're a dog, but we can all smell a marketeer. Don't lie or non-disclose when engaging in comments"
@irishstu
"nice list, needs something about integrated and regular relationships. Not just sporadic one off FB campaigns. Value add etc."
@Emmet
