Irish Consumer's Digital Behaviour

A nice infographic video from the chaps at Cybercom:

New Challenges & Opportunities

A short time ago I made the decision that it was time to make a subtle but important career change. While the previous two and a half years with Cybercom have been absolutely brilliant, teaching me more then I could have imagined and giving me incredible experience working with some of Ireland's top brands, I realised that I would be better suited to focusing all my attention on Social Media and Digital PR.

These are the areas of the modern marketing mix that I have the most fun with and, to be honest, the areas that I am best at, and ultimately this is where I want my career to go. So I started looking at the UK and Irish markets to see what was happening.

So [cue drum roll], having spoken to a number of different agencies and companies, I have accepted an offer from Simply Zesty and will start in two weeks as their Director of Strategy.

Digital PR & Communities Manager

I am extremely happy to announce that my role within Cybercom has taken on an extra dimension. While I am still working as a Digital Account Manager, I now also have the responsibility of becoming Cybercom's Digital PR & Communities Manager.

I will act as brand ambassador and evangelist for Cybercom and all our clients, working to develop and manage all Digital PR and Social Media activities across all channels and platforms. As both a Blogger / Social Media Advocate and a Digital Marketer, this role allows me to combine all the elements I love most about my work, and expand them across the entire breath of clients that we have the pleasure of working with.

Exciting times!

Augmented Reality Shopping

I've posted about Augmented Reality numerous times now, and although I've said it before, I'll say it again; Augmented Reality rocks! This is where cutting edge is for me. This is the place that digital marketing can go to create the most interactive, most engaging, and most dynamic creatives and campaigns.

I was lucky enough sit in on a Cybercom 'Friday Session'* presented by Marty. Marty gave a fantastic run through of numerous Augmented Reality applications. Afterwards I said, in my mind it's clear that the next step is Augmented Reality shopping - being able to "try on" clothes in a virtual store before buying them. Well guess what? There' no need to wait....



How incredibly cool is that! Sure it's not 100% accurate or spot on, but it's cutting edge, it's not meant to be perfect. However, give it 6 to 12 months and as it transitions from cutting edge to leading edge, I guarantee this will be picked up by every major online clothes retailer. Consider that this technology could tell you what size clothes to buy. No more guessing as to whether an American 'M' is an English 'L'!

Augmented Reality Posts
Augmented Reality By Hand
Augmented Reality Top 10
Augmented Reality: Shopping for Glasses
Mobile Augmented Reality Game
Augmented Reality Music Video
Augmented Reality Pizza
Eminem's Relapse Augmented Reality
Papermotion
WWF Augmented Reality
What's In The Box? (ARG)

*Friday Session - every Friday 1 or 2 agency staff give a short presentation on a topic of interest to the whole agency. This could be on a new Social Media tool, new International Digital news or holiday snaps of a far off place. Either way, it's a place for everyone in the agency to get together and wind down for the weekend.

The Kilkenny Push

As part of our 10 year birthday celebrations in Cybercom we made a commitment to work with a number of charities. The first charity we've been working with was Moving Mountains. I have posted several times already about Moving Mountains, and its founder Gavin Bate's, recent Everst climb.

Richie Fitgerald, one of the two lucky Cybercom staff who were selected to go to Everest to support Gavin in his attempt, is going an extra mile (81 extra miles actually!) this weekend to raise money for Moving Mountains. Richard and a team of 30 are moving a 10ft polystyrene mountain from Dublin to Kilkenny. Yesterday while Richie hit the road at 9am to start running to Naas. Then today it was on through Castledermot and Carlow, to get to Kilkenny. All day tomorrow the crew will hard at work in Kilkenny to raise as much as possible. On Firday some of the Cybercom crew took to Grafton Street to do some collecting.


If you pass the guys anywhere along the way be sure to give them a beep or make a donation to the cause. For more information on the charity, visit www.movingmountains.org.uk and to support the event visit www.justgiving.com/cybercom_moving_a_mountain.

A New Irish Agency: Radical

Thursday saw the launch of a new Irish Digital Agency with the merger of Captivate Digital and Interactive Return, to form Radical. The two companies were already both part of Publicis Media. This move is a clear confirmation of the continued increasing market demand for integrated digital marketing solutions.

Radical describes itself as offering client solutions for search engine marketing, online advertising, search engine optimisation, web design & development, web analytics, email marketing, social media marketing, online public relations, usability, and online marketing training.

"This is a very exciting time for us," commented Martin Murray, Managing Director of Radical. "Offline marketing spend is down 30% in 2009. Due to its greater measurability and accountability, online marketing is still showing steady growth in Ireland. Digital marketing is expected to grow to 27% of total advertising spend in the UK in 2009 and we expect Ireland to follow suit over the coming years."

John Dunne, Strategy Director of Radical said, "This merger makes a lot of sense for our clients. Radical will deliver integrated digital marketing solutions across all online channels."

News of the impending changes was first released as a teaser through the Interactive Return twitter account (now rebranded for Radical) with this post:


From here the following news was then tweeted on Thursday morning at the same time as the Captivate Digital and Interactive Return press conference:



Considering the recent Cybercom campaign in conjunction with Gavin Bate, this is yet another example of Social Media being put to the forefront of marketing. I don't think anyone can question the necessity for companies to pull up their socks and get with the Social Media (and Digital) program. It ain't going away, and is going to continue to increase in importance and prominence.

Good luck to the guys in Radical!

Become the Highest Tweeter in The World!

Following on from my previous post, there are some seriously cool things happening with Cybercom's 10 Year Birthday celebrations in conjunction with Gavin Bate.

Following a number of really cool suggestions, it was decided that Neil Perkin's suggestion was a winner. Neil suggested that Gavin do an online auction to give someone the Tweet from the top of Mount Everest, and in so doing raise money for his Moving Mountains charity. Craic'n idea, which I wish I'd thought of!

So get yourself over to the auction and do some bidding! This is a seriously cool opportunity and all proceeds go to Moving Mountains.

---Update---

Bidding is going crazy! Check this out - http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170331229446

Your Blog - Top of the World!

I have three simple questions:

1. Are you a Blogger or Tweeter?
2. Would you like to see yourself at the roof of the world?
3. What would you say if I told you all you had to do was suggest a cool digitasl strategy for a charity?

No brainers, right?

Well here it is, the simplest, most easy, and only, way to get your Blog or Tweet to the roof of the world, Mount Everest!

I work for Cybercom and we have been lucky enough to be given the chance to work with Gavin Bate, one of the most inspirational people on the planet. What do we have to do? All we have to do is the stuff we love doing - blog, tweet, code, optimise and market. What is Gavin doing? Well aside from running www.movingmountains.org.uk (an absolutely incredible charity), aside from making his 5th attempt to reach the highest peak on earth, aside from doing just about everything humanily possible to make the lives of those less fortunate just a little bit better, aside from all that, he's giving one lucky Blogger or Tweeter the chance to send him a message with their name and their Blog/Twitter URL where he will photo them on top of the world!

Seriously, how cool is that!

Get the full story here, but in a nut shell it goes like this...

Gavin is an expert mountaineer but he isn't a digital marketer, cyber guru or online addict. So Gavin needs help and has asked for ideas from the Irish digital community to promote his current summit bid (eventful). Why would you want to do that though? Well as Gavin said himself, "Unlike many of the climbers out here I don't really need to stand on a bit of real estate over 5 miles up in the sky. My sole reason for doing this is to raise money and the profile of my Charity www.movingmountains.org.uk "

So what do you need to do?

Gavin wants killer ideas that will help him promote his website (and donation page). In return Gavin will promote you from the top of Mount Everest by way of a picture with your blog's name on it or via an audio blog mentioning both your name and your blog's name.

Just send a link to your blog post of promotional ideas by Tweet (@gavinbate or @cybercom using #cyb10) and may the best blogger win!

An Post DMAs

Just a quick post to say congratulations to everyone who got shortlisted for tonight's An Post Direct Marketing Awards. Especially all the guys who I have the pleasure to work with. A fair batch of Cybercom entries in there...

Best Alcoholic Drink Category
Carlsberg Live It - Euro 2008

Best FMCG Category
Powerade - Never Give Up

Best Direct Digital Category
Vodafone Pass The Pressie
Powerade - Never Give Up

Best Integrated Campaign Category
Powerade - Never Give Up
Carlsberg Live It - Euro 2008 (joint nomination with Strategem, Initiative Media and Irish International)

---Update---

Results just in, straight from the Mansion House...

Best Alcoholic Drink Category
Carlsberg Live It - Euro 2008 >>> Silver Award

Best FMCG Category
Powerade - Never Give Up >>> Gold Award

Best Integrated Campaign Category
Powerade - Never Give Up >>> Silver Award
Carlsberg Live It - Euro 2008 >>> Bronze Award

2009 AMPC Awards

A huge congratulations to everyone in Cybercom who worked on the Bushmills Trek and Powerade 'Never Give Up' campaigns - both of which walked away from last nights APMC Awards in the Shelbourne hotel with wins. Awesome stuff for all the guys involved.

Also a congratulations to the guys in Strategem for wins with Danone's 'Ireland's Happiest Babies' and Captain Morgan's 'Got a Little Captain in You?!'

Trekking to Everest

In case no one saw this - Cybercom are sending two staff members to Everest!

The first trekker, Richie, departed today on what will surely be a grueling journey to the roof of the world. Leaving Dublin today, Richie flies (via London) to Kathmandu. From there he flies on to Lukla, and then treks to Namche Bazaar. After that it's "just" a 25km trek to the South Base Camp.

Fair play Richie - here's hoping you all the best! Good luck mate.

Evolution of the logo

I posted before about logos both here on Digitology and over on Cybercom, but both these posts have nothing on this video. Awesome stuff (sorry I'm a graphic novel geek).

Sunday Links

Aside from Digitology I also write on the Cybercom Blog, and one of our regular features is Friday's Best of the Web. I love helping to put this together as it gives me a chance to have a good dig around the net to find what's new, innovative, excellently designed or just lots of fun. Unfortunately we only feature four items and I always mind that I have a load of extra sites/ads/virals etc. that don't get used. So I decided to share them with you. Every Sunday I'll stick up links to everything that didn't make it.

So without further delay........

Seed Magazine
IKEA
Johnny Walker - The Striding Man Society
Casio - CA001

Cybercom wins Agency of the Year

Great news last night at the DMAs, with Cybercom winning Agency of the Year 2009. I'll update with a full list of winners tomorrow.

The Aviva Stadium

It was reported back in January that the refurbished and rebuilt Lansdowne Road stadium would become known as the Aviva Stadium, following an estimated €40m sponsorship deal. The deal was hottly contested and is believed to cover a 10 year period.

Today sees another landmark in the story, with the launch of the Aviva Stadium website. Live today from 2.30pm, the site offers news of the stadiums development, press coverage, details of the new facilities available at the site and a competition with great 6 Nations, World Cup Qualifier and helicopter tour prizes.

10 Years of Digital Advertising

With it's 10th birthday on the way, Cybercom (The Digital Marketing People) have put together their "10 key digital events that have been instrumental in shaping a decade of advertising and have left a lasting effect, which will continue to influence the next decade of advertising."

This is a fantastic collection of all those digital moments that have shaped the world wide web as we know it now. Difficult job though trying to chose 10 things out of 10 years. I can definitely think of one or two that I think should have made it - YouTube (in it's entirity), Blogging, Socila Media in general etc. Drop a comment on the blog and let them know what else they missed!

Search Guru's Required

Are you a Search Genius?
Do you go to sleep and dream about SEO?
Is Google HQ number 2 on your speeddial?

Then perhaps 2009 is about to get a whole lot better for you! Cybercom (The Digital Marketing People) have two positions that need to be filled:

• Head of Search Marketing
• Paid Search Executive

Speaking from my own personal experience (being a current employee), Cybercom is the best job I've ever had (sorry previous employer types). Great people, top clients, a fun environment and never any two days that are the same.

Seriously, if you're into SEO and PPC check out the jobs.

Cybercom Win “Best Online Campaign”

Beating off tough competition from Dare (UK), Cybercom last night won the “Best Online Campaign” at the Vodafone Global Creative Awards. The awards run across the entire Vodafone group (and their respective agencies) in all the countries that operate in, to highlight and promote advertising creative excellence.

This is great recognition by Vodafone of Cybercom's leading edge work in Digital Marketing. The campaign itself which sealed the victory was the launch campaign for Vodafone's Postpay Perfect Choice tariffs. The concept was based around Joe Hughes, a struggling Dublin actor, who found himself trapped in the very digital marketing campaign that was to launch his acting career. Joe made the wrong choice! Through Social Media (Bebo, Facebook, a blog and microsite) Joe sought the support of the public to get him out.

Pass the Pressie

I'm happy to announce that Vodafone's latest campaign, and first adventure into the world of Social Networking, went live today. Based on the concept of a game of pass the parcel, users are able to upload their photos to the site, choose a whacky costume and participate in what will be the largest game of pass the parcel ever!

Exciting Stuff for sure and something which everyone at Cybercom is very excited about. This should not be missed and is another great example of the potential of Bebo for Ireland's high profile brands.

Cybercom win Best Digital Promotion in the World!

Fantastic news yesterday morning - Cybercom's Powerade 'Never Give Up' campaign has won the Best Digital Promotion in the World at the 2008 MAA Globes in Toronto. Against tough competition from Vietnam and Australia, this may be the crowning achievement in an already merit studded piece of marketing. The MAA award makes a total of seven awards to date for the campaign, icluding a Coca-Cola Worldwide Marketing Award, Grand Prix at the APMC and Best Digital Campaign at the DMAs.

Congratulation to all the folks in the office who worked on the campaign. A very, very well done!