Posted on the EyeBlaster blog this morning, an interesting article on balancing frequency of advertising impressions. The question is; how many times should you aim for users to see your ad? How many times does it take for the user to retain the information displayed in the ad? Also, how many times is too many? Then you can balance it…

In the book ‘Advertising Media Planning’ by Jack Zanville Sissors, Roger B. Baron, it is suggested that users need to see an ad 3 times to retain the information. This research was conducted in 1990, but is this still relevant and does it apply online? We now have what is called the ‘Hyperconnected’ generation. These people consume multiple media channels at the same time, from watching TV, playing an online game and chatting on MSN all simultaneously. How does this affect the balancing act? Of course, this is just one audience but this highlights the fact that there is not only one balancing rule, but a rule for who you are talking to.

EyeBlaster state that is is difficult to achieve a frequency of more than 2.5 times per user. An excerpt from the article is below;

Frequency is hard to balance.  Stretch your campaign too thin—and too few exposures per user may result in low retention of your marketing message.  Advertise with too few publishers and in a short timeline—and too many exposures may result in precious impressions over-targeting your exposed users rather than seeking additional fresh minds.  While the theory sounds logical, it requires a relatively high volume of impressions to have the flexibility to optimize frequency.

To read more of this article click here

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In contagious today I came across Asylum 626! Check out the YouTube trailer here

An explanation from the horses mouth…

Just when you thought that it was safe to come out from under your desk, Doritos goes and launches a re-imagining of last year’s deliciously horrifying Hotel 626 immersive web experience – complete with interactive challenges, trouser-soiling cut scenes and increased integration across social media platforms. Go grab a change of underwear and hold on tight…

I now eagerly await, while the clock counts down to 6pm tonight! Update to follow…

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I came across this video, which lead me onto find Xtranormal.com. This site allows users to create their own custom videos from text… nice concept!

Xtranormal’s mission is to bring movie-making to the people. Everyone watches movies and we believe everyone can make movies. Movie-making, short and long, online and on-screen, private and public, will be the most important communications process of the 21st century.

Our revolutionary approach to movie-making builds on an almost universally held skill—typing. You type something; we turn it into a movie. On the web and on the desktop.

Imagine the comedy that will be created using this tool! Could be seen as a ‘fad’ rather then a long term business… but for now it has kept me entertained!

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Reported on Trend Hunter Redifussion have created the below marketing campaign to promote Airtel. Airtel allows you to keep track of your contacts even if you lose your phone.

Check out these incredible examples of heightvertising! An India-based company that provides mobile services called Airtel uses these ads to promote one of their many unique features that allows you to keep your contacts regardless of what happens to your phone.

The slogan on the print ads is, “Don’t lose your contacts when you drop your phone,” and the soaring heights that these photos are dropped from really drive this message home.

Have a look at the gallery to see three of these lofty ads for Airtel in collaboration with advertising agency Rediffusion Y&R.

Maybe it’s because I have a fear of heights, but i do like this… I have not seen anything similar before, so think this could do quite well and cut through. This gets across that you could ‘lose’ your contacts. Also it has been executed really well!

A great example of how to transfer a theme/concept into a creative execution.

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Firstly, forget this is for one of the most violent sports in the world! For some reason I did got to UFC 95 at the O2, a friend dropped out and I was given the ticket. Very surreal to start with, people fighting in a cage, going nuts, kicking heads, elbows in faces, kicking on the floor and breaking bones…

The website for UFC 100 created by Red Consultancy (great URL), shows off some great 3D navigation. Click the image below to check it out… be do be warned if you have just had lunch don’t watch the videos!

Also… the image above is not squashed, they do have square heads

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I have just seen this site and personally think it really makes an impact… watch the intro animation and see for yourself.

Brilliantly done! I don’t want to spoilt, just click the link and watch…

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A little touch that dims the surroundings so you can focus on the YouTube video…

More importantly hit the image above to view the Google Wave Developer Preview at Google I/O 2009, it could be the future of the web? HTML 5? Could this replace email?

Some interesting APIs as well as the announcement that the code will be open source!

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New web game that uses Twitter… I love Twitter and now SpyMaster. You can build up your ‘Spy Ring’ by finding other ‘SpyMasters’ on Twitter, get them to follow you and then equip them with weapons to aid you in assassinations.

I did have to turn off the spam like notifications that were posted to my Twitter as it got a little much! Not worth the extra 8% unfortunately!

You can only join by getting referred by a ‘SpyMaster’, so search them out on Twitter and ask for an invite. As its boosts their ‘Attack’ and ‘Defence’ rating most are accommodating… Nice and viral aye?

I do warn you all, it is highly addictive!

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GiveMeAnIdea.com is a pay as you please idea generation site run by a group of people who like giving other people ideas.

Nice idea.. I hope it works! Lots of these experiments going around right now from crowd funding to ad funded music… nice!

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Over the years marketers have tried to embed video into email. ISPs were not keen on this due to spyware and other nasty virus implications plus different email clients would handle the video in different ways. This would cause compatibility problems and as a result not all users seeing the email will be able to view the video.

Reported in Media Post yesterday Turner Broadcastign have started to use the CertifedVideo service. This uses Flash technology and to play the content. I can imagine this working fine for online email clients as Flash is installed as part of browsers (plus 99% of users have this installed), but for desktop email clients some could prove to be incompatible. The ‘Certified’ service is interesting as ISP restrictions are lifted and the video plays on message open.

CertifiedVideo is based on our patented CertifiedEmail™ technology. With the addition of a new CertifiedVideo token-class, your messages are delivered directly to the customer’s inbox. Better yet, ISPs lift all restrictions, so your videos play on opening.

Would be intesting to see how fast this is picke dup by marketers and also how users respond to video in email? Will it be irritation for a user to open an email and have video playing instantly? Will this make them close the email without viewing? I guess as all tools go, it depends how it is used.

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