FRANKthoughts

As FRANk is using a polar bear icon on it’s website we feel we need to pay something back for using the bears IP.  That’s why we are sponsoring a bear every year. Here’s another way to spread the message: A life jacket for Polar bears:

From Inhabitat: As the climate crisis mounts and Arctic icebergs slip away, polar bears are suffering starvation, population declines, and drowning as they must swim further and further to find food. Seeking to raise awareness for the endangered species’ plight, ADDI Concepts has taken wildlife preservation literally by designing a life-vest for displaced polar bears struggling to stay afloat as their homes sink into the sea.

ADDI - a Swedish design agency has done the work to promote awareness and not as a physical solution. One of the most interesting comments suggests using old oil platforms to make artificial islands for the bears to rest on, replacing the melting icebergs. What a cool idea. Or so I thought. After researching for a bit I found this answer by a WWF employee:

“Some people have suggested that artificial platforms placed in the water could act as a home for the bears. In reality, however, one must recognise the vast scale of the Arctic and the area normally covered by ice. It would not be practical to replace that with artificial platforms. Such platforms are also no substitute for the role of sea ice in food production. Sea ice is part of a vital arctic food web, sustaining plants and animals from single-celled creatures all the way up to seals. Without this food web, polar bears cannot survive.” 

This answer was posted on a site called “Get Satisfaction“. Their byline? Customer service doesn’t have to suck. The service is a very cool application enabling a conversation between real employees and consumers. I tried to look for Telstra but came up with a two comment thread about nothing. Perhaps this is a US focused service for now, but a great idea for any company.

Tamir’s not that happy with MTV, but he likes change…..hmmmmmmmmm. Perhaps this MTV Networks International’s Global Climate Change Campaign will restore his faith:

Cool, heh? Or should I say warm? The online component, MTV Switch, uses tag lines like ‘Go Lo Carb’ and animated characters known as ‘Environmentors’ to to educate users (probably Gen Y and younger) about simple things individuals and households can do to reduce carbon emissions. The Environmentors are adorable - Treehugger is my favourite and I have a soft spot for Mother Nature - she reminds me of my Grandma.

Last week I’ve found out that Australia is going to be the third country in the world getting an electric car network! The company behind this initiative is called “better place” and they’re now collaborating with AGL and Macquarie bank to establish a network of electric cars, charge spots and battery exchange stations. Better place goals are sustainable transportation, global energy independence and freedom from oil. I like what they’re doing on their site especially a nifty little idea called: “10 word manifesto”, where you can tell the world the reason why you think we must end our addiction to oil. You can also ebbed and share yours on your blog!
I can’t wait to drive one of these cars myself. I just wish their cars would look as sexy as Tesla’s:

 Being in Melbourne, the Capital of Coffee, we pay homage to the Vietnamese Weasel. Weasel coffee has been eaten and regurgitated by the rare Vietnamese weasel. The weasels’ gastric goings-on radically alter the taste of the coffee and the result is a stronger, smoother, heady flavoured coffee that will appeal to serious connoisseurs of the mighty bean. Once ‘evacuated’ by the bean-loving fur balls, the coffee is collected by eagle-eyed villagers, who then market the stuff directly to the manufacturers. Wiki does its job and provides that shot you’re after… freshly regurgitated beansYou’d think that with this incredible collective endeavour that it deserves much better treatment than this. A bag of weasel coffee to the first person who can correctly identify the logos we’ve used to spell brandwars.

Greenpeace is usually doing well using online to drive action from their participants.

Here’s the latest example, giving a whole new meaning to tree hugging:

Greenpeace wants you to share your love with/in/to the forest with photos and videos of love expressions like kissing, hugging and whatever else you can think of.

You can see the photos here. Will be interesting to see how this campaign unfolds.

Thanks to Osocio.

You’ve probably already conjured up an image of what The Girl Effect is - it’s not the pink, stiletto-clad, “we’re all sisters”, “tell me your feelings” thing you’re thinking of. It’s actually the opposite.

The Girl Effect (thanks to TheDrewBlog), is the powerful social and economic change brought about when girls have the opportunity to participate in their society. It’s the brainchild of the Nike Foundation and is an initiative to give impoverished girls the resources they need to realise their potential.

Unlike traditional “send money now” fundraising schemes, The Girl Effect actually engages people. It provokes thought, entertains and focuses on how we can change the future. It’s viral advocacy. The only problem is, it’s quite difficult to actually make a donation. Even after you work out where to click (I’ll let you find it yourself), you’re re-directed to www.globalgiving .com and, if you’re anything like me, assume you’ll be making a donation to a charity called The Girl Effect. That’s not the case. What you’ll discover is that it’s a network of global charity projects all striving to better the lives of females. To find out how it works go to: http://www.globalgiving.com/howitworks.html.

THE eternal challenge for “us” on behalf of our clients is to break through the surface of consumer indifference by being where they choose to be and manifesting the brand with the most appropriate and relevant face, creating moments of receptivity.

The concept of Nomadic media puts a brand’s message out there, traveling many different pathways, and dressed in many different costumes, all specifically tailored to certain groups of interested consumers. Crossing paths with the consumer now actually starts a relationship in which the consumer plays an active part. The consumer is not coming to the brand at the brand’s beckoning. The brand is not forcing its company on the consumer. The brand’s identity in the eyes of the consumer depends on a consumer’s interaction with it.

An excellent article “Unglued from the Tube” by Liz Tascio in this month’s US ‘Media Magazine’ introduces Nomadic media and breaks down the artificial distinction between online and offline reflecting the step-change from passive to active interaction and consumption. Enjoy.

An appalling use of billboard vinyl, time and resource comes ironically from a couple of energy companies. TRU Energy and Energy Australia (see for yourself). There is a certain irony here. Vinyl used to produce outdoor skins is highly toxic at the manufacturing stage producing foul emmissions to make kyoto blush with a half life of thousands of years.

There are part solutions but there is light at the end of the tunnel with BIOflex a fully degradable PVC good for about 12 months…long enough. So please, anyone commissioning the production of outdoor skins, enquire as to the type of vinyl and also the printing process. Go with UV ink (90% makes its way onto the vinyl) NOT solvent ink (90% makes its way into the atmosphere).

BIOflex will cost about 20% more but it’s the least we can do. Do it.

Billboards are part of life’s rich tapestry but how much richer could they be if we could read them? I’d say 90% of creative work is assessed from about 1m…. mounted on card or from a monitor. Blowing this up to over 40sqm and placing it by a busy road does not necessarily guarantee consumer engagment. The in-office test of good billboard creative is to walk the A3 artwork about 10m away and take another look.

We are mounting the “worst-billboard i’ve seen in a while” competition. The winner will win a FRANk bag…made from an old Ansett billboard skin, surely a collectors items, valued at $80. Please send me (martyn at frankmedia.com.au) any images you capture and i’ll post them. The competiton will run until the end of June’08.

The catalyst for this idea comes from a billboard i saw yesterday from Energy Australia. This is truly appalling. Firstly it’s about an energy supplier so it’s inherently of low interest plus the “headline” is unreadable and as for the rest of the copy…well who only knows. Someone then commented on TRU Energy’s newest campaign…maybe you need to see a TV ad before this makes sense. Anyway these are my two entries.

Thankyou very much

Some passionate discussion about Connex, Melbourne’s rail system, on Marketing magazine’s blog. I couldn’t help but comment on the letter from Julian Cole. I indulgently referred to my post travel community but added a thought about recycling mx newspapers.

Connex tends to be the butt of jokes and ridicule and to be fair they may be victims of their corporate environment. However their site does lack practical empathy. I did find a feedback section which suggests, in preference 1. speaking with their staff on platform 2. calling the customer feedback line ( i rang, spoke with a helpful lady about my mx newspaper recycling idea who in turn said she’d refer my idea to the Customer Relationship team and they’d be back to me within 7 days…i’ll report on their feedback as a comment) 3. writing a letter or 4. an online response.

One of their latest initiatives is to meet their managers at various stations to ask questions. Wouldn’t it just be a lot simpler and practical to engage online? Soon.