People of earth... The Cluetrain Manifesto

Yeah, it's been around for a while. But still very relevant in case of online marketing!

Here are 10 off the 95 rules:

1. Markets are conversations.
2. Markets consist of human beings, not demographic sectors.
3. Conversations among human beings sound human. They are conducted in a human voice.
4. Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives, dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically open, natural, uncontrived.
5. People recognize each other as such from the sound of this voice.
6. The Internet is enabling conversations among human beings that were simply not possible in the era of mass media.
7. Hyperlinks subvert hierarchy.
8. In both internetworked markets and among intranetworked employees, people are speaking to each other in a powerful new way.
9. These networked conversations are enabling powerful new forms of social organization and knowledge exchange to emerge.
10. As a result, markets are getting smarter, more informed, more organized. Participation in a networked market changes people fundamentally.

Read them all here or download the .pdf or read the whole book online!

Neuromarketing - Understanding The Buy Buttons in The Brain

I stumbled upon an interesting blog, specially for whom who work in advertising. Read the quote and decide yourself!

Keys to Neuromarketing
Christophe Morin, co-author of Neuromarketing: Understanding the Buy Buttons in Your Customer's Brain, says entrepreneurs can improve their products, services, marketing and advertising by learning six keys to neuromarketing. These tenets stem from Morin's argument that most purchase decisions are made subconsciously, in the nether regions of the mind he calls the primal brain, areas where basic fight-or-flight instincts kick in. We buy, he says, out of fear.

1. We're self-centered:
Nothing triggers self-centered action like a transaction. "People are completely egocentric and all they want is something that will create a difference in their lives, eliminate pain and possibly bring them more pleasure," Morin says.

2. We crave contrast:
"The bottom line is, on any given day, we will receive about 10,000 ad messages, and only the ones that are huge contrasts will get any attention," he says.

3. We're naturally lazy:
Abstract advertising and marketing won't get through. Keep it simple, but strong. "Most companies tend to create abstract messages and use too many words," Morin says. "Reading is much more a function of the 'new brain.' We recommend that, of course, companies use a lot of concrete visuals."

4. We like stories:
Advertising and marketing with strong beginnings and ends create anchor points that we latch onto, so Morin advises entrepreneurs to sum up and recap their strongest selling points at the end of any promotional material. "The brain has a natural tendency to pay attention at the beginning and end of anything," he says.

5. We're visual:
Appealing video and graphic presentations can make the difference at cash registers where price and reason can't. "We process and make decisions visually, without being aware of them," Morin says. "Only later do we rationalize decisions we made."

6. Emotion trumps reason:
Give us the right emotion to ride on, and we'll buy what you're selling. "When we experience an emotion," he says, "it creates a chemical change in our brain, hormones flood our brain and change the speeds with which neurons connect, and it's through those connections we memorize. We don't remember anything if there isn't an emotion attached to that experience.

Dennis Romero

Neuromarketing

Bazaar.net. Democratization initiatives in the Middle East

In December I'm going to attend a forum called Bazaar.net in Beirut Lebanon. I and a friend of mine are going to teach people there how to market their democratization initiatives in the Middle East.

Bazaar.net is a web-based platform that couples society changing projects, short, cheap and innovative, by a younger generation in the wider Middle East with individual donors in the West, the Netherlands who want to make a direct impact.

The mission of Bazaar.net is to support ‘democratizers’ and democratization initiatives in the Middle East, local activists and initiatives that target society and politics. A democratic and inclusive society and political system is the main condition for peace, justice and human security in the Middle East. Democratization from below is the way to change stagnant states, social and cultural structures in the region

Bazaar.net aims to be an engine for social and political change that generates inspiration and ideas, resulting in concrete actions. An engine that fuels the capacities for political change and innovation in the region and creates links between East and West.

Now something different!

V.B.S. T.V - Back In Beirut episodes

Ray Ban Goes Viral

Hmmm, Ray Ban goes viral. While it's a nice trick they pull with sun glasses and the video is popular on YouTube. I have my doubts if sales will go up more then with a 'general' campaign.

Cheers

Urban Spam. It just tastes better.

A logo/symbol I made for Urban Spam. Inspired by Burger King. Seeing that Urban Spam is like Junk Advertising... lol

What is Urban Spam? Urban Spam has to do with the fact that any surface these days is being used as a commercial message. So, even though you haven't asked for those commercial messages you do get them forced upon you. Just like those annoying ones everyone gets in there inbox! Read more!

Great guerrilla marketing

"Nice tactic for Ayuda en Accion, a no profit organization against child labour. Children drawings were placed into the boxes of several brands of sneakers, containing a call-to-action to donate for children."

Taken from Adverbox.com

Need a new barbecue?

I just came across this guerrilla marketing campaign over at I believe in adv. I love it, really simple and easy to execute.