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I'm on an Internet. And I don't smell as bad anymore. But am I wearing Old Spice? I debate. You decide.

Exhibit A: I've just written an article on the "Old Spice Guy" campaign. You can check it out on Adweek here. The full text of the Adweek article is below.

Exhibit B: On Friday did my quasi-monthly "debate" with Mitch Joel, where we discussed the campaign, it's social media side, lovers v haters and of course, the "did it work?" component.

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Here's what I learned from the process:

1. Beware the false prophet.
2. People want this to succeed for so many reasons. All of them wrong ones.
3. Mitch Joel is in love with Isaiah Mustapha.
4. Subverient Chicken called; they want their BMW Films back.
5. P&G and Wieden may very well be laughing all the way to the bank. Good for them. They deserve it. I'm a fan but not a fan boy.

It's 2010 and apparently what's new is a 73-year-old deodorant.

Fresh off its Grand Prix award at the 2010 Cannes International Advertising Festival, Old Spice is now the talk of the social media town based on its "damn, I wish I'd thought of that" two-day social media blitz, where pitchman Isaiah Mustafa personally responded (scantily clad in nothing but his signature towel) to over 180 contacts who engaged "him" and/or the brand via Twitter, YouTube and Facebook comments.

His correspondents included key "influencers" ranging from Perez Hilton and George Stephanopoulos to Digg's Kevin Rose and Ashton Kutcher. The social media elite (although the list sounds a lot more like traditional celebrities) was swept up in a wave of narcissistic delight, which in turn reflected itself in a mega-amplification of earned media -- the likes of which have probably never been seen so rapidly and explosively. (See also: "Spice It Up - Did the Old Spice Campaign Work?")

To be sure, the commercial itself is good. Not great, but good. OK, maybe great insofar as it is highly creative, engaging, well executed and amidst a sea of clutter, sameness and mediocrity is about as TiVo-proof as the dying seconds of a tied Super Bowl game. But was it worthy of the crème de la crème of the global advertising film elite? Personally I think the beleaguered 30-second spot took another giant step back this year, especially after the BMW Films, "Campaign for Real Beauty," chocolate loving gorillas and Honda "Cog" of yesteryear. This was a great CPG commercial, which you just get the feeling has been done before, only you just can't quite place it. But that's irrelevant, really.

What is relevant is that television advertising will likely never be the same after this particular approach. With a whiff, spray or spritz of 73-year old scent, the 30-second spot became a conversation starter; a means to an end; the first piece of an ever-expanding puzzle.

Gone are the days of the new media zealots begging to be sent to the shoot so they can think about how best to version, adapt and extend the original assets to the fullest extent of online's potential. Gone are the days of lobbying for the social media navel gazers to be FedExed to the set, armed to the hilt with their HD Flip cameras, M-Audio mixers, Verizon MiFi access points and Twitter apps. Gone are the days of simply plonking a commercial on YouTube for bonus "hits."

This is a game changer. Or at least it will be until sales go south, the CMO moves on and the agency realizes it should have locked in Isaiah Mustafa to a long-term contract and now his residual rights alone rival only LeBron James' appearance fees.

But was this ever about sales? If it was, the results from the overarching campaign would seem to indicate a decent amount of groundswell: Although according to SymphonyIRI, in the 52 weeks ending June 13, sales of the featured product, Red Zone After Hours Body Wash, dropped 7 percent, according to Nielsen, over the past three months, sales jumped 55 percent and in the past month, they rose 107 percent. It's hard to determine how much of this was due to an aggressive couponing campaign which was in market simultaneously, but directionally, there does appear to be a correlation between creative resonance, social momentum and sales. (See also: "Old Spice Campaign Smells Like a Sales Success, Too.")

On the flip side, there's the branding argument. Again -- on the surface -- the jury is out on that. The creative brief seems to have been transplanted into the messaging loud and clear: somewhere down the discovery path, an eager account planner noted an insight that Old Spice was over indexing against female millennials (read: Hello ladies. Look at your man . . . now back to me).

I like to use a simple benchmark or litmus test against differentiation: if there had been no reference to a brand in this commercial, would you have known it was for Old Spice? Or if a different brand (competitive such as Axe or otherwise, like Listerine) had replaced Old Spice, would you have been any the wiser? On both counts, I'd say ownership or association is tenuous at best.

And then there's the prime directive for Old Spice (a brand that is otherwise in perceptual purgatory insofar that it is "still" associated with my Grandfather, may he rest in peace): Old Spice: The mark of a man. It's about as persistent and permanent in my impressionable mind as "Just do it."

Hell, just type "Old Spice" into Google and you'll see both the paid and organic results for the brand proudly bragging about a 73-year heritage that might resonate with a 73-year-old man, but surely not on a female millennial.

But again, perhaps none of this is relevant. After all, the campaign is the earned media belle of the ball in 2010. It's the endless BP gushing well (but in a good way). It's a gift to the marketing community presented on a silver platter in terms of how -- finally -- a campaign should be launched and ultimately sustained. It is as close to integrated as we'll ever see.

It isn't exactly what I'd call a "commitment," but I'd like to give both Procter & Gamble and its agency, Wieden + Kennedy, the benefit of the doubt on this one. I actually think Wieden has shown arguably the best understanding and interpretation of social media and advertising integration than any of its competitors -- most notably, Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, which don't seem to move beyond the wham, bam, thank you ma'am of viral fad of the month.

This isn't a perfect program, but it's without question head and shoulders (wait, is that a competitor?) above anything else the tired and lethargic me-too industry has to offer. I won't be buying Old Spice anytime soon, though, unless I receive my gift pack and personalized YouTube response from Isaiah, but both of those are stories for another day.

Twitter's iPhone App sucks. Yes, they purchased Tweetie and are attempting to go it alone so to speak....but why?

Twitter is going the same way that every other company that came before it went. It's forgetting it's roots, equity and heritage i.e. its community that ultimately crowdsourced Twitter to its perceived supremacy.

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Duct Tape Marketing's John Jantsch just wrote a new book called, "The Referral Engine." With many similarities to "Flip the Funnel", I thought I'd sit down with him and chat about the primary messages and themes in the book.

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Never!

...so here's a summary of a variety of places and spaces I've been spreading the juice of late:

1. A terrific interview with destination CRM/CRM magazine on "Flip the Funnel"
2. Marketing podcast, The Beancast - the latest episode just posted in which host Bob Knorpp and panelists, Ken Wheaton, Erik Proulx, Jeff Cutler and myself discuss Facebook's location-based announcement and privacy in general, TBWA\Chiat\Day's digital stumbles, whether mobile has arrived or not...and much more
3. Poolside chat with David Armano (@armano), where we discuss thought leadership and the difference between "thinking" and "doing"
4. It's becoming a regular for me....my third appearance on Small Business Advocate with host, Jim Blasingame. We discuss community, leveling the playing fields and more.
5. Marketing over Coffee podcast conversation with host, John Wall. We discuss "Flip the Funnel"
6. A great review of "Flip the Funnel" from Patrick Reyes. Be sure to click through to the Saturn example
7. Also how about this great merchandising of "Flip the Funnel" which - unbeknownst to me - was created by Readitfor.me

“It’s like a giant iPhone, except without the Phone,” is probably not that an inaccurate description of the much hyped and it must be said, initially fairly criticized device. That of course was before it came out. About 300,000 people (in this economy) ignored any speculation and purchased the giant iPhone-without-the-phone within the first few days of its retail existence. And now 1,000,000 “early adopters” have followed suit.

If I’ve learned anything in my hate-to-love and love-to-hate relationship with the brand, it’s this, “never…and I mean NEVER write off Steve Jobs, Apple and anything they release (or unleash) on its denizens.”

Truthfully, you have to hold the device in your hand to appreciate what it is. If you’re Jeff Bezos, you’re probably not the happiest camper. If you’re anyone else in the space you should be significantly less happy than Jeff (at least he has a bookstore to support his device – not like iTunes or the App store). Think about it for a moment: how was it that until now, there wasn’t a single large-enough, full color, multimedia portable (read: lightweight) device on the market? Not one. That’s what the iPad brings to the table in terms of have-to-haves. On the nice-to-have front, touchscreen and wi-fi make it even more compelling from a user experience.

I’m not boosting this at all (even if it seems that way). I’m just calling it for what it is. A pretty cool all-in-one e-reader, “portable DVD player”, gaming console, digital photo frame and jukebox. And in the case of the latter three, it’s not exactly best in class in terms of practicality, usage and capability. Which leaves us in essence with a pretty nifty portable alternative to TV and as I’ll get to shortly, even magazines.

On the plus side, the iNtegration with iTunes and the Apps store make for another seamless and clean synchronization with Apple’s continued push to own, bundle and dominate the mobile market. Yes, you heard me correctly…Apple is very much a mobile player and operating aggressively to lead this market[1]. From a practicality or usage perspective, expect many people to watch video (movies, TV, YouTube etc) lying down on their sofa with their iPad nestled neatly on their legs. To that end, expect an irresistible surge of innovation, creativity and even support on the accessory front that will make the impractical, practical and the impossible, possible. From hooks that allow your iPad to hang onto the seatback of your next flight or stands to support the digital photo frame functionality (which already exists by the way)

Like the iPod Touch and iPhone, the iPad community will step up to provide context, content and most significantly, the platform upon which to grow the equity and value exchange associated with the investment. It’s Crowdsourcing Apple style.

But before you run out and overspend, here is – in my opinion – the sinister underbelly of the iPad:

1. The iPad is way overpriced. An entry level $399 for literally the “bottom of the range” version make this a nice-to-have versus a have-to-have. Although it’s not a NetBook (nor does it profess to be), a consumer with $399 to spend would most likely be best suited to invest in a laptop or NetBook versus the bright and shiny iPad. I also think there’s going to be a tremendous dissonance associated with the first-mover-advantage premium paid to get in early on the iPad rush. Apple has already demonstrated a little too much eagerness when it comes to subsequent releases. Many (the wise ones) will hold back and wait for the next generation iPad which irons on various bugs, kinks and gremlins.
2. There’s an “iPad Tax” which seems to be synonymous with good old fashioned greed amongst developers. iPad applications are currently being developed for the iPad “in HD”, which is just a codeword for, “let’s charge significantly more for the same application because the screen is bigger.” Consumer backlash will probably help to equalize or normalize this egregious premium.
3. Another ridiculous premium is the additional/incremental fee for 3G usage. I’d like to ask why Apple and its 3G carrier partners don’t create an “all in” or “all-in-one” fee for iPad customers who are also iPhone customers. Unfortunately, I know the answer as to why there aren’t price breaks or built in tethering to support the synchronization of bundled devices. To counter this greed, many will “jailbreak” their iPads in order to tether them to their iPhone or similar 3G devices.
4. Screens are going to break. The bigger they come, the harder the fall.
5. The iPad will not save the magazine industry.

Don’t get me wrong – there is nothing until this point that has allowed as rich a digital magazine consumption experience as the iPad will allow. Not even close. A company called Zinio tried to create a similar experience on PC’s, but do people really want to read magazines on computers? Is that what they’ve been waiting for all this time? Is that the reason why magazines have been going out of business?

Personally I think magazine’s killer app has always been the ability to be read on a toilet and I’m hoping the iPad doesn’t resonate here, but on a more serious note the magazine and newspaper industry are going to lead the hype bandwagon with respect to the iPad. No doubt the ability to add in video, multimedia and other interactive components to the magazine experience will leapfrog the magazine business into the digital (and even social) era, but isn’t that what they once called websites? In addition, the real debate here will be an economic one; a numbers one – the million dollar question will be to what degree customers will PAY for their magazines on their iPad (and secondarily, what this fee – or heaven forbid, premium – will be) versus getting them for free in exchange for…advertising. In the case of the former, will people turn the pages any slower to avoid the advertising they were already avoiding or will the advertising become smarter, more engaging, more targeted and more valuable? That’s another million dollar question, but is it in fact irrelevant?

1,000,000 iPads doesn’t mean 1,000,000 subscriptions to the New Yawn Times or Vanity Fail. And even if every single iPad reader did pony up for a suite of magazine subscriptions, there are way too many to go round and way too few eyeballs to meet them. In other words, a short term band aid solution to massive continuing hemorrhaging circulation drops.

For what it’s worth, the battleground for the beleaguered print industry will be an economic one. Ala carte pricing or micropayments for extremely targeted articles, news and information may take the magazine and newspaper business in the same direction the music business is heading and the Cable sector will soon be heading.

…and if all else fails, there’s always giving away the content for FREE (gasp).

All in all, the iPad will usher in a rich and immersive mobile consumption experience and will ultimately become the one multimedia portable device to rule them all. The kinks will be sorted out and the base will grow. And as long as Apple doesn’t lose its focus and yield to the “Jack-of-all-trades” temptation, it will lead by example (especially with its iTunes-App Store vertically integrated feeder). In the various other categories (e-reader, video player etc.), the number of contenders will fall like flies, but expect one (maybe two at a push) leader to still prevail as a best-in-class specialist (I’m looking at you, Kindle!)

Finally, don’t be surprised if we begin to see a pricing normalization or equalization to “give back” to loyalists and early adopters, and recognize the investment into the iBundle.

So how can you take advantage of the iPad as a brand? Here are 5 thoughts:

1. I wouldn’t bet the farm on the iPad just yet. The reach just isn’t there. Put differently, if you haven’t invested in an iPhone App right now, that’s the place to start. That said, it’s not the worst idea in the world to begin planning ahead for a time when enough of the people who matter to you are taking advantage of rich, immersive and mobile multimedia experiences on screens larger than the Palm of your hand.
2. Think like a publisher. Apple has created a well-oiled vertically integrated machine that will allow you to be a true storyteller (finally!) and who knows, maybe even sell more stuff in the process. Why try and make the most of your “print advertising” i.e. enhance your flailing magazine and newspaper adspend, when you can serve up the entire experience? Content is King. Who knew?
3. The return of podcasting: what was once a subscription-based “video podcast” living on the outskirts of Fringeville is now front and center. The team over at “Will it Blend” are going to spend less time destroying iPads and more time delivering their compelling video through them!
4. Another unlikely comeback is going to come from the Convergence camp. A magazine is no longer a magazine, especially when it has interactivity and video. The same applies to the opposite end of the spectrum i.e. the medium formally known as “television,” especially when a viewer can become a reader at the swipe of a finger, and in doing so, learn or find out more; become better informed, educated and informed. This is a boon for the pharmaceutical space for example. On the flipside, convergence generally fails. I’m just sayin’…
5. The Creative Renaissance that began with the iPhone App store is going to get a whole lot bigger (but not necessarily better). New rules. New context. New usage scenarios may tweak the formula, but the end product is going to be even more consumer empowerment and utility. Brand have a lot to contribute and gain here.
6. Bonus: This wouldn’t be complete without a “Flip the Funnel” reference that goes beyond brand promises to actual customer delivery, service and experience. The stakes and potential are even higher here when companies can reward and recognize their existing customer base and subsets of loyalists, influencers, advocates and ambassadors.

As for me, I can’t help but laugh a little at the self-proclaimed early adopters lugging around their oversized iPhones. Silly little geeks. And I say that endearingly. You don’t need to try so hard to be cool.

So, I’ll be waiting for the second generation iPad, which should tell you something.

Fortunately, it will probably be announced by the time you read this Point of View.

[1] Credited to Peter Shankman in a conversation on marketing podcast, “The BeanCast”

Facebook fans the fire of brand love by diluting it down to like. Confused? You probably should be.

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No doubt you've probably been following the latest brand social media kerfuffle or perhaps I should say, "scuffle" with Nestle and their Facebook wall. 

In one of the many trade articles written on the story, one particular reader comment caught my eye (see below). It is this comment that in my opinion is the real reason why these kinds of missteps are occurring. The reader in question demonstrates an acute lack of knowledge and understanding of the current landscape, the changing relationship between brands and their communities, the increasing expectations and demands that consumers have from the companies they buy from and without question, the new consumerism or customer activism that continues to sweep through markets as we know them.

By Felliott | Shawnee, KS March 19, 2010 04:27:52 pm: Every time one of these social media shitstorms flares up, and the twitterati grab their pitchforks, the picture becomes more clear: Brands are the cool adult down the street, who don't have kids but who let the neighborhood kids play in his yard anyway. Once upon a time, when one of the kids go out of line, it was perfectly acceptable for the homeowner to say "that wasn't cool, now get the hell off my lawn", and the other kids thusly knew their boundaries, if social convention hadn't already prepared them. But NOW, in a day when the kids all have megaphones and a sense of unassailable entitlement, the new social order is that when one of them lights a bag of dog shit on the homeowner's front porch, the homeowner is supposed to proclaim what a funny little kid he is. When one of them spray-paints grafitti on his garage door, the homeowner now has to praise him for his edgy creativity and create a contest asking all the kids' friends for more of the same. When they stomp his garden and call his wife a whore, he's supposed to respond very sweetly and say "my, my, you are an intelligently creative lot, thank you for contributing". Is that about it? Can we cut to the chase? If he doesn't respond this way, he's a dinosaur who doesn't get it.

In the particular case of Nestle, they were more forces in play that contributed to the inflammatory situation - with sweeping implications with respect to organizational structure, process, training, empowerment and education. Also, it's nothing new that one person's actions become a face for the entire brand experience e.g. a nasty or rude cashier at McDonalds can eradicate any and all goodwill from "I'm loving it". What is new of course is how this action (in a virtual environment) can have widespread implications or tremors that spread across the entire organization and its entire customer base.

That said, it's not Nestle's situation, nor their response that prompted me to write this post. It's the complete disconnect between the commenter's understanding and perception of the marketplace and ultimately, how brands need to structure themselves to deliver, fulfill and serve their customers accordingly. 

To even remotely portray a brand as "the cool adult down the street" and its customers as the "entitled neighborhood kids" not only misses the point, but also exposes a potentially fatal flaw which could have dire repercussions on BRAND equity, health, reputation and...oh yes......revenues as well.

I couldn't help but wonder if the person behind the comment is either a marketer in charge of curating and shepherding his or her brand or an agency executive that has been hired (or outsourced) to help with this mission critical function.

How many other marketers or agency executives out there do you think share this arrogant, delusional or misguided sentiment? 

Don't get me wrong....consumers who disrespect, degrade, deface or sabotage brand or corporate efforts deserve to be treated accordingly, BUT (and it's a huge BUT), there's a pretty clear line between subversive efforts and everything else (passion, emotion, opinion, curiosity etc) It's not a fine line. It's not an ambiguous line. It's a very clear line and if you can't see it, it's time to purchase a pair of common sense glasses.

Start here: when people (individuals) have ulterior motives - especially ones that are veiled, opaque and/or hidden - that's very different from a person or even a group with an opinion or point of view. Where it gets a little tougher, is when those people are organized in a group and to what degree that group is formalized (organization) versus organic/informal (community).

There's really no playbook when it comes to handling these kind of situations, but a great place to start is at the beginning. Doing something versus doing nothing. But also recognizing that doing something is not always better than doing nothing, especially when the "something" is a chide, rebuke or "get the hell off my lawn."

Bottom line: if you're still thinking of your consumers as spoiled, obstreperous, immature and demanding children, you're probably setting yourself up for a visit from SOCIAL (media) SERVICES.

Get it? Got it? Good!

This *really* is a good one, which is scary...because it implies the others weren't. Seriously though, in episode 3 of Jaffe vs Joel (kinda), we debate FourSquare and location-based platforms AKA MoSoSo with several very key discussion topics, themes and outcomes.

Would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

As always, send in your audio comments to me on +1 206 203-3255 or follow me on Twitter but don't follow me on FourSquare unless you're a REAL friend.

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