Huxley Quayle von Blog

Giving back to the next generation of ad men.

Yesterday partners of HQvB were simultaneously taking part in ad week forums at Brock University in St. Catherines, and Humber College in Toronto.

Chris spent a couple of hours with students at Brock about where advertising is going, what they can expect and how HQvB is doing things differently.

Andy took part in a Creative Director's round table discussion at Humber College. Along with Brent Choi from Saatchi and David Houghton from Y&R, Andy addressed topics ranging from the shift of media and how the new 2.0 world is affecting the advertising industry, to how students can make a better book.

It was great to see the passion of the next generation. We get as much from them as they get from us.

Do some good, win some customers.

From Marketing Magazine

[ Canadians like brands doing good deeds ]

November 19, 2008 | By Kristin Laird

Despite the economic downturn, many people are still committed to helping others and remain loyal to brands and companies that share that same commitment, according to a new study by Edelman Canada.

Seven in 10 respondents said they would remain loyal to a brand during a recession if it supports a good cause, while an equal number said they have either maintained the same level of support or given more support to good causes despite the economic downturn.

Canadian consumers also voiced a strong desire for marketers to connect their brands to social action. If two products are of the same quality and price, commitment to a social purpose trumps factors like design, innovation and brand loyalty when choosing one brand for 41% of respondents, and 48% are more likely to buy a product if there is a good cause behind it, even if it isn’t the cheapest brand available. The report also shows that 60% say brands spend too much money on advertising or marketing and should put more into a good cause.

“Meaning is one of the important consumer values today,” said Lisa Kimmel, senior vice-president and national practice leader, consumer, Edelman Canada. “Consumers actually want to interact with brands that are authentic, responsible, real, and that also allow consumers to interact with each other while affecting positive social change.”

Fully 90% of consumers feel it’s their duty to contribute to a better society and improve the environment; 84% feel they can personally make a difference, and 87% are willing to change their own consumption habits to help make the world a better place.

Before committing to a good cause, Kimmel said a company must first determine which effort makes the most sense strategically and will resonate the most with its core consumer.

Kimmel cited Brita and Nalgene’s North American “Filter for Good” campaign as an example. Primarily a PR driven effort, the campaign asked consumers to log on to a website where they would take a pledge to reduce their plastic bottle waste.

Brita experienced a double digit increase in sales during the four-week campaign, said Kimmel.

Despite consumer interest, the study shows that brands need to better communicate their social purpose, as only 34% of Canadian consumers said they are aware of a company that actively supports a good cause.

The research also found that Canadian consumers believe supporting good causes begins at home, with 50% giving more support towards local causes, while 81% said they are more likely to buy products if it benefits those around them. The study, conducted by Strategy One, queried 6,000 consumers in 10 countries, including Canada between August and October 2008.

HQvB launches campaign in Australia.

News > Marketer News
MARKETER NEWS

[ WILD ALBERTANS GO DOWN UNDER ]
November 17, 2008 | By Norma Ramage
Australians will get an up close and personal look at that rare human species “the wild Albertan” in its natural habitat this week.

A number of these unique mammals have been exported to Sydney, Australia, where they will be displayed in cages at Sydney’s Darling Harbour Nov. 20-22. On display will be: Western Party Animal—also known as Extremeous Winterous Dudeous Maximus—the Elusive Skier/Snowboarder Dude, and the Great Outdoors Lover.

Every hour a “zookeeper” will bring one of the “animals” out of its cage to answer questions and interact with the crowd.

The unique zoological display launches a social networking campaign for Travel Alberta that is expected to be viewed by 250,000 Aussies.

The “zoo animals”—real Albertans from the tourism industry—are intended to drive traffic to FriendsBeyondBorders.com, said Don Boynton, communications director for Travel Alberta.

Once there, they’ll find videos, pictures and forums to connect and share experiences with people with common interests like hiking, skiing and mountain biking. The website isn’t branded by Travel Alberta, said Boynton, “and conversation is basically guided by the participants in the hope of creating friendships and more awareness about Alberta and the activities available here.”

The website will be supported by a Facebook campaign and contest, e-mails to outdoors clubs and other special interest groups in Australia and Alberta urging them to join FriendsBeyondBorders, plus a Google ad words campaign and information about the site on special interest blogs. The grassroots campaign is open ended to allow more Albertans to participate and “become ambassadors and guides to Alberta,” said Boynton.

Andy Shortt of Toronto agency Huxley Quayle von Bismark, which created the campaign with Calgary’s Ambush Advertising Group, said he is unaware of any travel authority that has created a social networking site.

“When we signed on I think they were expecting an Internet banner campaign, but as we did our research we found the number one reason for people to travel is to visit friends and relatives. So we thought, ‘Why not create a community where Albertans and Aussies can come together as friends?’ ”

Campaign results will be closely monitored and if it is successful, Shortt said it will likely be expanded to include other countries.

Originally published in Marketing Magazine, November 2008

Barack Obama. A brand wins the Whitehouse.

His opponent was a decorated war hero who selflessly sacrificed his own chance for freedom to be with his compatriots. A man who had decades of experience at the highest levels.

He was a junior senator who counted community organization as his experience. A man who has served less time in the senate than his opponent did in a Vietnamese prison camp.

On paper, if you solely look at the product, John McCain should have wiped the floor with Barack Obama. And yet, Mr. Obama is the new President.

Why? Because he and his organization understood better the power of creating a brand movement, complete with cool online creative from the best agencies in the country, a cool logo, celebrity endorsements and an emotional tag line "yes we can". (Hey it works for Bob the Builder.)

They understood how to create a brand movement based on a wholly emotional appeal for change. They talked to a younger, educated audience using new media. In doing so, they built momentum for a "cause" not just a man. Kind of like Dove has done with it's Campaign for Real Beauty. When you buy Dove, you're buying the cause, and yeah, you get some soap. When Americans voted for Barack Obama, they bought the cause, and yeah, they got a President.

Mr. Obama is a great product, we hope, but this election was won by a cause. It was won by a brand. A twenty-first century brand, complete with cool logo and celebrity endorsements.

HQvB in Australia

It's nice here. The weather is great, the people are nice, the beaches not too crowded. While we've been here doing pre-production for an upcoming campaign we've had time to see round a bit. I almost killed a couple of times riding in Sydney. It takes a while to get used to riding on the other side of the road.

Anyway, here's pic of me on Monday morning at 7am in Bondi Beach, just outside of Sydney. If it wasn't for all the stories of spiders and snakes here....