Author Archives: Riku Vassinen

Oct 02 2014
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Digital Strategy, Insight, Planning

Why Don´t I Use Data on My Smartphone?

Constant amusement for my co-workers is that I use pre-paid phone with no data. So you cannot reach me with e-mail when I am not anywhere with Wi-Fi. I cannot be reached with WhatsApp (or at least not that fast).

Yes, I work in digital agency.

Originally this started because I was not quite sure how long I would be in Singapore. Now that it has gone well over two years, it might just be procrastination. When asked my odd mobile behavior, I will always tell these three reasons:

1. Only way to protest is through consumption

All of the telecom operators offer only 2-year plans, which I oppose in principle. I believe that you should be able to make profitable business without forcing the customer lock-in. Forced customer lock-in is total opposite of what great brand should do. It is a cheap move and there are smarter ways to do that lock-in as well (see: Apple)

If someone would come with more flexible plan, I would probably sign a proper deal. Until that, I am minimizing my phone costs and paying to any Telco by having the pre-paid. And they are already screwing me up with my home internet plan, so they are getting them nevertheless.

 2. Connectivity can be good: constant interruption is not

Being connected to Internet is a great thing and I damn the lack of data every single time I cannot get a cab. There is a superb app for that in here. If I would be constantly connected, I would also be constantly interrupted with different alerts (from mail, social media, other apps). That makes you stupid and it is a fact.

I counted that I have read over 100 novels, while I have been here. I mostly do my reading while commuting. With data, I would have probably read 100 novel worth of inane status updates or have a Nobel laureate in Candy Crush Saga.

3. Limitations set boundaries

My co-workers know that I do not have data and I generally do not read mails after leaving office. After a while they also respect that and also know where they can contact me if there is something urgent. As Internet and digital is so much of what I do at my work, I rather spend my spare time with analog activities. Which does not mean that it is a good thing, I just prefer vinyl records to music streaming services. Different strokes for different folks.

Am I a Luddite?

I don´t think so. I genuinely believe in the possibilities of digital. I think that digital detox is bullshit. Mobile Internet is constantly making our lives better. I am not a better person compared to antisocial commuters with their mobiles. I am antisocial with my book. What works for me, does not necessarily work for you. And vice versa.

I am also super excited about new technological possibilities. Yesterday I was totally amped up when testing new virtual helmet. I am probably abandoning my pre-paid days to fully experience Apple iWatch (as I believe in the potential of wearables). I constantly test new apps and services (I am even on Ello, which is probably the most overhyped new service ever). I usually test them for a while and find out what makes people tick. Why they are using them? Then I usually abandon them.

You don´t have to be a digital native to be able to do successful digital marketing. You have to be curious and always open to new things. And you better understand that none of your peculiar old-school habits reflect any other people. Then you will be just fine.

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Aug 28 2014
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Advertising, Insight, Planning, Strategy

“When I didn’t have a mic, I rapped on headphones”

Although I am white dude from suburban Finland, I have always been quite serious hiphop-head. This song below has always been one of the favorites. Raw simple drums and raw battle rhymes. That is all you need in a perfect hiphop-song:

One Charizma line has become a legendary hiphop-quotable from the song. It is almost like a rally cry for the indie hiphop movement and DIY spirit in mid 90´s and early 2000:

“ When I didn´t have a mic, I rapped on headphones”

For those who know, in the absence of microphone you can usually plug headphones to microphone input of mixer (I have done that as well). More street credible rappers have also been known to rap their records in telephones from jails. However, the line has lived on through the years within the song and also with this cool t-shirt designed by Parra:
tshirt
Now 18 years later, this legendary line has found again a new life with this awesome collaboration by headphone brand AIAIAI and legendary West Coast record label Stones Throw records. You can actually get to the record by rapping to your headphones:

This project is a great example that although you do a contest it can have some innovation with it. The contest promotes actual product launch. Many headphone brands do bespoken collaboration products and some might also do music contests. Stones Throw & AIAIAI have been one of the best ones creating quite holistic and enjoyable consumer experience from the website to the app. Because of that legendary Charizma line, it also makes perfect sense for headphone brand.

Also a good example that you should mine your good ideas way more often from old underground rap songs.

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Aug 11 2014
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Advertising, Planning, Social Media, Strategy

The Art of Making Effective Facebook Ads

Although I am strong believer of catching attention by any (relevant) means necessary, this ad seriously baffled me:

watermelonhead
Are you getting design services from guy, who has a watermelon in his head?
Or is the watermelon head representing guy who needs design help?
I think he definitely needs some kind of professional help, but I would not be worrying about the design. Unless you get some psychiatric advice in addition to the design services, which apparently cost less than a cup of coffee.

On the other hand I saw the ad and started to think about it, which is way more than I can say about the majority of FB ads.
The challenge with Facebook ads is that you seem to notice only the really weird ads, which you would never click on.
When you have small space to work on, it is difficult to get noticed but still be relevant.
Difficult but not impossible.

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Jul 22 2014
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Advertising, Insight, Marketing Strategy, Social Media, Strategy

Has This Been Done Before?

The most frustrating part in working in Singapore is the construct of majority of the presentations. Way too often, you spend big portion of the presentation going through examples on how other brands have done, not just similar things, but exactly the same things to sell your idea.

Has this been done before?

It is always good to learn new skills, but I have to say I much prefer my own construct. Show that none of the competitors is doing the thing you are proposing and pinpoint the opportunity. That approach does not sell work in here though.

And it is understandable. Others might not be doing that particular idea, because it does not work. Or they might not be doing that idea, because they are waiting for the proven case studies and benchmarks. So every marketer should remember the following four rules:

If you are doing something for the first time, there is higher probability that you will fail.
If you are doing something for the first time, there is higher probability to do something surprisingly successful. 
When you do something for the first time, it will be groundbreaking: either in negative and positive.
When you are doing something for the first time, either do it as a test or go all-in.

This paradox causes interesting challenges. When you try to duplicate something truly groundbreaking, it is nearly impossible. When you do something for the first time, it is partly about the idea and partly about the speed. Everyone working in this industry long enough knows that coming up with great ideas is not that difficult. Getting them executed fast and first is. Over-benchmarking success stories just results in mediocre campaigns: even though you could copy the exact idea, you cannot copy the exact situation.

This has been done before?

When you are doing something for the first time, it can be a stunt.
When you are doing something for the second time (or third and so forth), it cannot be stunt.
 
Talent borrows and genius steals, but genius also knows from whom to steal. Occasionally you might get the comment with digital ideas that it has been done before. And the same way as the opposite comment above, that does not really make sense either. No one faults you from doing 30s TVC, because it has been done before. It is a proven method, not an idea. It is not an idea anymore in 2014 to react to tweets and hashtags:

It is already a proven method. It becomes an idea when you have Boyz II Men singing those tweets. Same way as the only TVCs catching the attention anymore are the most expensive. That does not mean you should not be doing TVCs or social response, you have to execute with more bells and whistles.

The more proven method has become, the more craft and execution matters in it success.

When you are doing it first, you need less flair.

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Jul 15 2014
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Advertising, Business, Insight, Planning

Anatomy of An Insight: Meat Pack Hijack

I had totally slept on this, but luckily was shown it today in a meeting.
Entertaining and effective loyalty idea from this Guatemalan shoe store Meat Pack:

Insight: Most brands and companies are struggling with the top-of-mind. Consumers are promiscuous among brands. There are not many monogamous relationships with brands. If you are able to make your customer think about your brand, when they are shopping around, you are already having the upper hand. If you are able to make them come out running from that same competitor store, you are most likely winning.

Other lesson: If you are challenger brand, you should act like challenger brand. Although you might offend certain big players, your fans will just love you more.

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Jun 20 2014
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Business, Digital Strategy, Insight, Strategy

Yo.

Simplicity is beautiful. With messaging apps and especially through stickers our communication has become more effective and simpler. Is there a limit to how simple you can get?

Apparently not.

This week app called “Yo” launched from beta. It is the simplest form of communication I have yet seen. It works in iOs and Android. You select username. Then you add friends. Then you can send your friend “Yo” as a push notification and audio. So essentially you can only communicate through one phrase:

Yo

You got to be kidding?

No I am not. The company behind “Yo” has raised $1 million in venture capital. Currently there is over 50k users sending around 4 million Yos. They are also currently hiring.

For life-long hiphop-enthusiast I can see the merit of the app. Maybe in the future iterations you can have personalized “Yo” or an “Yo” from a famous rapper. Yo is simple, positive and universal.

Unlike many start-ups, the app creators have also thought about potential use cases for companies:

  1. A blog can Yo the readers whenever a new post is published. Imagine getting a Yo From PRODUCTHUNT.
  2. An online store can Yo its customers whenever a new product is offered. Imagine getting a Yo From JENNASHOPIFY.
  3. A football club can Yo the fans whenever the team scores a touchdown. Imagine getting a Yo From THE49ERS.
  4. An ice-cream truck can Yo the kids when it’s around the corner.… Imagine getting a Yo From THEICECREAMTRUCK.

The feedback for the app is hilarious as well. The current users have definitely taken supportive although somewhat ironic stance to it. Here are some of the highlights of App Store comments:

“Yo is all I need
When the wife texts me to go get some stuff from the store, all I do is shoot her back a “Yo”. When the kids text for money or a ride, I get on the app and hit them a “Yo”. Yo is a way of life. Live simply, live beautifully. Yo”

“This app changed my life
I am a professional scientist who has been scouring the earth for 7 years in search of a program or application so revolutionary, so outside of the box, so groundbreaking, that it could actually reverse the effects of clinical depression and bipolar disorder. “Yo” seems to be a fit. I have tested the effects of yo on several samples of depressed and bipolar tigers. Tigers were a natural choice for testing due to the little known fact that their anatomy is nearly identical to that of a humans. In a sample of depressed tigers, 8 out of 10 became happier due to the app yo and in an all male sample, 9 out of 10 experienced increased libido. I have taken my findings to Pfizer in hopes of negotiating some sort of three way contract between the creators of yo, Pfizer, and myself, Chisley Winsett M.D. So my message is this, creators of yo, this app that you have so sweetly crafted is not just an app, nay, but a highly scientific piece of medical innovation. We could do great things together. Please respond. Regards, Chisley Winsett M.D.”
 
“A life changing app
Yo is the best way to communicate. We no longer need intellectual discussion. We no longer need language. This is the next stage of human evolution!”

This feels more like postmodern commentary of the current app infrastructure or as an art project gone viral. On the other hand, it is hard to predict what eventually becomes hit. I would regard Yo only as a novelty app, but I do not use stickers either. It just might be that Yo will revolutionize messaging. Or it will be remembered as the tipping point when app bubble really started to burst.

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Jun 19 2014
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Advertising, Insight

Giving What They Need vs. Giving What They Want

Go watch The Chef.

It is the best food-related film since Jiro Dreams of Sushi. There is an awesome soundtrack to accompany the food porn as well. With El Michels Affair & Roberto Roena playing on the background, it is automatic 4 stars for me. Also it has social media playing quite integral part in the storytelling, which was actually surprisingly fresh.

While the main plotline is a story about father and son, the movie is really about passion. Chef Carl Casper is bored in his job heading successful but predictable restaurant. The owner wants to play it safe, while Carl would want to make food he truly believes. After public meltdown and some social media trolling, he eventually finds his groove by putting on a food truck.

Does that sound familiar?

Do you feel that sometimes we are just doing what the client wants but not really what he needs?
That is essentially the biggest challenge in our work. People think they know what they want, but they don´t really know what they need. Consumers did not know they needed iPad, Crossfit or many other things. This applies to agency personnel as well. We might want to do something, but it might not be right for client either.

Working in kitchen is not that far away from working in agency. Both are balancing in this thin line of creative expression and commercial reality. Restaurants are essentially feeding you. Agencies are helping you sell more. How they do it is the most interesting bit. In both fields, there are three-start Michelin restaurants and there are fast food chains. The problems start when someone demands Bic Mac in Noma or vice versa. We are not artists in agencies, but we are not servants either.

We should always fight to have the most effective creative solution for the business problem. Sometimes it means giving tough love: both to clients and agency personnel. Ability to come up with ideas is one thing, but if you do not fight for those ideas, it does not really mean a thing.  If you are too eager to please, you are not really doing the right thing. I don´t regret any instance, when I have put my stake on the ground and tried to fight for the great idea. What I regret are the times, when I have let it go without a fight to avoid confrontation or make it more easy. Every time the end result has been crap (or at least not that good as it could be).

When you stop fighting for your work, it is time to quit.
Without passion, this field of work (and cooking as well) is just too draining. There are less time-consuming ways to get paid.

So let your passion show in your work every day. Sometimes that might mean raised voices, hurt feelings and occasional meltdowns.

But so what?

Those things make the difference between 3-star Michelin dish and the Bic Mac.

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Jun 18 2014
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Advertising, Digital Strategy, Insight, Planning

Hacking is The Highest Form of Flattery

Don´t let lawyers run your brand.
This becomes quite apparent when you think about cease & desist from Ikea to Ikea Hackers. You have a person who has been an ambassador for your brand and indirectly urged people to buy more of your products. Yes, he has gotten some money out of it through ad sales, but seems quite petty from behemoth like Ikea to care about that. Instead they put the self-professed super-fan in jeopardy on quite dubious legal grounds. Cory Doctorow has a great argument on how the trademark is not copyright. What is most striking is that something like this still happens in 2014. It used to be my usual blog fodder to rip stupid brands harassing people who love their brand. I thought that brands had learned something throughout the years. Apparently not, so here is a reminder about two facts in this social age:

1. Hacking the brand is the highest form of flattery.
Even if someone is doing a parody about your brand, she is still using countless of hours with your brand. She would not do it, if brand would not mean anything to him. The challenge for the brands is not the negative feelings, it is that most of the people do not have any feelings (positive or negative) towards your brand.

2. Reward, don´t punish your biggest fans
Coke´s Facebook Page was originally started by fans. Instead of cease & desist, they invited those fans to visit the factory. Ikea should think about how they could collaborate with Ikea Hackers. Or maybe there would be some interesting cues for product development?

Weird mishap by otherwise generally smart brand. I think some of the solutions in this great Ikea-produced video could contribute as hacks as well:

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Jun 17 2014
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Advertising, Insight, Planning

Anatomy of An Insight: Fartcode

If you are not even slightly entertained by flatulent humor, there is probably something wrong with your emotional state.

“You don’t have to be smart to laugh at farts, but you have to be stupid not to.”
Louis C.K.

Gas is always a blast for me, so not surprisingly this was highly entertaining:

Insight: Kids are not interested in nutritional value of food. Nutrition in food makes you fart. Fart equals fun. Educate kids through farts about the nutritional value of food. Get smart with your fart.

Nice touch on this app, combining utility and social sharing.

Only question with this brilliance is will it really appeal to kids (kids referring to anyone younger than me)?

The look & feel is actually more resembling an episode of Beavis & Butt-Head from 90´s and the song could have been lifted from the glory days of Epitaph records skate-punk.

Is it something that resonates more with us middle-aged kids than the real target audience?

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Jun 16 2014
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Insight, Planning

You Have Listened to Led Zeppelin, Would You Like to Listen to Prince?

First rule of being a planner:

Don´t think that you represent target audience.

You have to understand the target audience. Know as much as possible about them. Talk with them. But never think that your own behavior resembles anything that normal people are doing.

Unless you are targeting 30+ years old dudes still wearing sneakers and knowing too much about popular culture.

Majority of planners are snobs in various fields, and this does not exclude yours truly. Therefore I have never seen the reason for automated recommendation algorithms. I will always know what I want to listen or watch. I have spent majority of my life listening to obscure records and watching odd movies to be able to entertain myself in every occasion without outside help. If I need recommendation, I only trust in a handful of established aficionados, who have earned my trust.

I will always favor human curation over algorithm.
Therefore this recommendation in Spotify made me laugh:
Prince Spotify
You have listened Led Zeppelin, now listen to Prince.

How stupid is that? It would be like recommending broccoli in restaurant because you like meat.

“Eugene Goostman” might be able to act like a human, but this recommendation did not raise hopes for reaching singularity for a while.

But here´s the trick:
I like Led Zeppelin.
I like Prince (the song is from one of my favorite Prince albums).

So actually recommendation was not off. It just came from surprising angle. Maybe the Spotify algorithm knows more than it appears. If there would be more people, who listen both Led Zep and the The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, the world would be a better place.

Eventually it boils down to this: as long as the recommendation pleases the audience, it does not matter how off or not it is. That is why I don´t really think that the future of streaming services lies in super-smart recommendation engines or human curation. It will be about vast catalog. Streaming service, able to secure The Beatles to its service, will probably go long way.

Maybe recommend some Rolling Stones to go with that.

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