As always, a PDF version is available here, which we encourage you to share with clients and colleagues. But, if you’d prefer the straight text, continue reading below.

Code Read

Brace Yourself for the Barcode Barrage

Well, what do we have here? Is that a QR code campaign delivering exclusive content for FOX shows like Glee and Fringe? And do I see a Campbell’s sweepstakes where consumers enter by scanning their soup can UPCs? While, over here, I could’ve sworn I caught a Kelley Blue Book window sticker equipped with QR codes, allowing car salespeople to keep the same sticker in the window even when the price fluctuates. With everyone from beer brands to magazines to sports teams loading up these little squares with data, it looks like we’ve got ourselves a full blown barcode party on our hands, to which we say…

Well it’s about time you all showed up! See, we at Upshot have been hanging around the QR code punchbowl for years, checking our watches and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres while wondering what’s taking everyone so long to get here. (We’ve even used the codes in our own agency campaigns.) But, that’s given us plenty of time to get acquainted with the breadth of barcode applications, understanding what works and what doesn’t. We already went ahead and qrushed the topic of QR codes in a recent 15-minute Smartshot webinar (accessible by scanning the QR code above), so let’s head in to the party! Look for the balloons out front.

(Of course, the best way to get into this shindig is to try scanning some codes yourself. If you don’t have a barcode reader for your smartphone, shoot The Source a message and we’ll point you to one that you can download for free.)

While we prefer the flexibility and broad compatibility of QR codes, we’re admittedly using them as a proxy for all kinds of barcode marketing applications. It really doesn’t matter whether you implement a smartphone app that reads traditional UPCs or a code like JagTag that doesn’t require a reader. What’s important here is that barcodes should be driving consumers to compelling, valuable information when scanned, regardless of the format. Ultimately, these codes are just an efficient way to connect consumers to a wide range of content on the mobile web, whether it’s a link to the Double Rainbow YouTube video, the Double Rainbow remix mp3, a coupon for the Double Rainbow t-shirt, a calendar link to Double Rainbow viewing parties… you name it. The codes are not campaigns on their own. The real consumer interaction comes after that code is scanned and engaging content is delivered, much like the true measure of a party’s greatness isn’t what’s on the invitation, but how early the karaoke machine gets broken out. For instance, the QR code to the right will take you to an awesome art installation, in which portraits of classic movie stars are made out of a series of barcodes. When those codes are scanned, they play various video clips from their respective repertoires. Now that’s one heck of a barcode blowout!  (Hint: linking your QR code to your company’s bland homepage probably makes for a crappy party.)

These data-laden codes are ideal for any products where the consumer experience can be enhanced by accompanying information and education. For instance, there’s a lot to talk about when it comes to wine: food pairings, terroir, blends, vintages, and how to properly mock anyone garish enough to order a California Merlot in public. But, even for oenophiles, that’s a lot of stuff to put on the outside of a bottle. We’ve seen some brands try to get around this with bottle neckers, in-store media, packaging, and more, but none of these options really allow for the full story to be told. Compare that to the smartphone apps that Constellation Wines has developed for its brands, which include barcode-scanning capabilities. When consumers scan the UPC on the bottle, they’re linked to everything from reviews to tasting notes to streaming videos about the wineries. It helps that these apps also build personalized profiles for the consumer, since it gets a little tricky to remember your favorites halfway through a tasting session. Just ask Edina and Patsy (they’re waiting for you behind the QR code above).

Like the Best Buy example we covered in our Smartshot webinar, Constellation bakes the barcode readers right into their branded smartphone apps (along with other features). We think this is particularly crafty, and not just because it circumvents the problem of whether consumers have already downloaded barcode readers to their phones. When users scan the codes using the branded app, that marketer can exert more control over where that user eventually ends up. In Best Buy’s case, the retailer can link to movie and video game trailers, coupons, installation instructions, their Twelpforce staff, and more, without worrying that the barcode will take their shoppers to an online competitor. And this approach isn’t just beneficial for retailers; imagine how much more control a brand could exert over its shopper marketing programs via a similar technique.

In the end, it really doesn’t matter which code format your brand pursues. What’s important is recognizing the value of augmenting consumers’ real-world experiences with rich, immersive, online content. It’s part of the Online-Offline Convergence that is changing our consumers’ everyday experiences, and which happens to be another party that we’ve been crashing for a long, long time. Now that you know the code for the door, we do hope you’ll join us. We even left you a special message hidden – where else? – in the QR code to the right.

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we’re all hopped up on code-ing at theawesomeblog.net

As always, a PDF version is available for sharing and perusal right here: Totally Radical Demography.

But, if you’d prefer a text-only version of the Posting, just continue right on reading.

TOTALLY RADICAL DEMOGRAPHY

Like, totally.

While we’ve been tracking all of our 10 Trends for 2010 throughout the year, the recent Census got us re-stoked about the eighth trend on our list: Radical Demography. As a refresher, Radical Demography warned us to look beyond the same stories we’ve been hearing for years: explosive Hispanic population growth, aging Boomers, Gen X-headed families. Now, we’re talking about social shifts that are so dramatic that they’re worthy of such an 80s-tastic phrase as “radical,” if not “most excellent.” Taken individually, these changes provide important clues about how to better target and message to often-ignored niches. But, as a whole, these righteous shifts have given the bogus concept of the “average consumer” a facial disgracial (in English: it’s now totallyless than a quarter of all households. We’re not mental; this is the world of outdated). By the time the Census results come out next year, the traditional family (a married couple with children) is expected to account for Radical Demography. Let’s take a look at four emerging (or re-emerging) household types and how the most bitchin’ marketers are targeting them.

SINGLE, READY TO MINGLE: Does a “singles cruise” bring to mind a scene of mass debauchery (perhaps an “excellent adventure”), or a sign of savvy marketers reading the demographic tea leaves? Well, probably both. But the fact that Norwegian Cruise Lines is offering single-occupancy rooms for the first time in their 43-year history shows a recognition of the startling spending power of the single consumer, who now accounts for 35% of all US spending. With Americans delaying marriage longer and divorce rates still hovering high, the rise in singledom isn’t especially surprising. Over a quarter of Americans currently live alone (27% in 2007 versus 17% in 1970), and married couples only accounted for 60% of home purchases in 2009 (compared to 81% in 1985). By the way, 21% of those unmarried home purchases were made by single women (meaning only 10% by single men), which may explain why Home Depot’s now (wisely) offering “Do-It-Herself Workshops.” But, when other marketers (especially in food and CPG categories) don’t address this population, they’re really doing it themselves, like singleedition.com’s recipes-for-one and kitchen gadgets for solo cooks.

SH*T MY DAD SAYS, IN THE NEXT ROOM: Even before the Great Recession forced youngsters to move back home (most heinous!), we were already witnessing a longer-term resurgence of multi-generational households. 2008 saw a record number (16.1%) of Americans living in households with multiple generations of adults, and there are plenty of explanations: the rising share of immigrant families (especially Hispanics and Asians, although many African-American families are also in this boat), the rising age of marriage, and Medicare cuts. Regardless of the cause, the effect is multiple generations having input on household decisions. With each cohort responding to dramatically different purchase drivers, these families may require simultaneously messaging to a number of household members in independent ways.

DINKS AREN’T JUST SPACEBALLS CHARACTERS: Although it sounds like an insult, “DINK” is just short for “Dual Income, No Kids” households. In 2007, married couples with kids made up a smaller percentage of US households than married couples without kids (22.5% vs. 28.3%). Throw in the aforementioned single folks (without kids) and childless cohabitators and you’ll realize that the majority of US households now lack those grody little weasels. As we asked in our original 10 Trends, how much of your marketing is based on the assumption that you’re talking to parents? When you’re talking to Gen Xers (and even some older Gen Yers/Millennials) who don’t have kids, their priorities, their interests, and their disposable income will all be greatly impacted if they’re not subject to the iron grip of Hannah Montana.

MORE ELYSE KEATONS, FEWER PEGGY BUNDYS: What’s your idea of a breadwinning head of the household? Is he a cranky middle manager like Jack Arnold? Is he generously affluent like Phillip Drummond? Is he even a “he”? PSYCH! With women increasingly outlearning and outearning their husbands, many households are reversing traditional gender roles. Our creative briefs frequently refer to the multi-dimensional mom who’s bodaciously juggling kids, work, household chores, and her own interests, but how much does that description change if we add “And, she’s the primary source of household income”? Suddenly, she’s not the overstretched “supermom” who needs a break and a pat on the back; instead, she’s driven, focused on the big picture, and, while perhaps short on time, knows exactly what she wants from marketers. We could even say she’s most triumphant.

Obviously, these are different folks (with diff’rent strokes), so we’re not saying you should be targeting all of these household types at once. In fact, we’re saying the opposite: divvying up your demographics can take your targeting to the max! When your target is Jessica the Gen Xer, ask whether your campaign also resonates with her intentionally-childless friend and her neighbor whose father has moved in. You may find your marketing taking a radically different approach.

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What the Web Will Be Like with Facebook’s “Like”

If you’d prefer a text-only version, keep reading below. And if you like the post, be sure to “Like” it!

WHAT THE WEB WILL BE LIKE WITH FACEBOOK’S “LIKE”

You’re going to like it.

A whole lot of people spent last week freaking out about Facebook’s new “instant personalization” features. Most of these freakouts came from users panicking about the privacy implications of Facebook sharing their (public) information with third party sites. A smaller percentage of these freakouts came from analysts realizing that as soon as users understand the benefits of instant personalization, we’re all about to start using the internet in a completely novel way.

Marketers, start listening to this second group, because Facebook is on the verge of something big. Let’s look a little deeper, shall we?

By now, most of us are familiar with the concept of “liking” (formerly “fanning”) something on Facebook. You can “like” public figures like Louis CK or hobbies such as bowling. You can “like” brands like Corona or marketing powerhouses like Upshot. And you can “like” important causes like saving the environment or completely banal things such as not being on fire (quite a bold statement!). When you choose to “like” any of these things, you also notify your Facebook network, so “liking” Nickelback will broadcast your (inexplicably awful) taste to your peers (and probably explain why they’ve stopped talking to you).

But, there’s more to that news stream than just the things you’ve “liked” within Facebook. With the arrival of Facebook Connect (which we covered in a prior Potty Posting), other sites can broadcast your tastes back to Facebook, so your peers can learn that you gave Paris Hilton’s The Hottie and the Nottie a 10/10 on Netflix. (Have I introduced you to the aforementioned Nickelback guy? You two would really hit it off.)

These features have enabled Facebook to become the king of social media (with 400 million members, and growing), but most of this information heads in one direction. Users declare that they “like” something, and it ends up in their news stream on Facebook.com, along with photos, and videos, Farmville triumphs, and… you get the idea. It gets lost in the clutter, rather than forming a piece of a larger profile about our tastes and preferences.

But what if things were different? What if that one-way exchange turned into a loop? What if “liking” The Hopleaf meant that when I visit Yelp, the site would prioritize a recommendation for another craft brew mecca like The Map Room? What if “liking” both of those bars meant that when I visit a travel website, I would be directed to a page that tells me the best bars for craft beer across the United States? And, if I “liked” those bars… well, hopefully Facebook would steer me to a health spa, since I’d be in need of some serious detoxification by then.

But setting aside my personal problems, don’t you think that this scenario would be a better internet experience for everyone?

It would. And that’s what “instant personalization” is all about: personalizing sites around the web according to your interests and the recommendations of your Facebook network. That little “like” button is the key. The like button can now be added to any page on the web, allowing Facebook to harness what you “like” on any site (for example, you can now “like” any of the articles on theawesomeblog.net). Then, Facebook shares this data with trusted partners to personalize your experience on their sites. For instance, the streaming music site Pandora can now analyze all the bands you’ve “liked” in order to create a playlist customized to your tastes. Pandora, in turn, can share this information with concert listing sites like SonicLiving and let you know if any bands you “like” are coming to town. In other words, all the websites you are visiting have become instantly personalized.

For marketers, this is big news. Our customers want personalized, customized, relevant interactions with our brands, which have been relatively tough to deliver. But, our consumers are about to start telling us a lot about their interests, and we will have the opportunity to deliver targeted, valuable messaging in an absolutely unprecedented manner. For our clients, the future could look something like these (purely speculative) examples:

• If someone generally “likes” online recipes that are healthy and can be prepared in under 30 minutes, Kraft can prioritize these recipes when this person visits kraftrecipes.com or uses the iFood Assistant.
• If a business traveler “likes” college sports stories, Gogo Inflight Internet can deliver messaging on their portal page that reminds this person to keep up on his or her favorite teams while in the air.
• If a Disney Vacation Club member “likes” the outdoors, DVC can emphasize their resorts that feature more natural surroundings.

We could continue with similar hypotheticals for each of our brands, but so could you. And that’s the point. If there was one overarching takeaway from this year’s SXSW Interactive conference, it was the willingness for these tech companies to let marketers get under their hoods. The Facebooks of the world are creating technology solutions without really knowing which problems they can solve, while we have expert insights into our consumers’ needs and wants. Someone turn on the Barry White, ‘cause this is a marketing marriage that needs to be consummated! We’ve seen it happening with Foursquare, we’ve heard Twitter calling for it, and now, Facebook will be on the prowl for partners who can imagine the potential of “the social graph.” It’s not about determining which service is “the hot one” and jumping on the bandwagon; it’s figuring out which service has the data that can be harnessed for deep, meaningful customer interactions. We “like” what we’re seeing.

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We’ve got a new Potty Posting available for your reading pleasure! We take a look at location-based social networks like Foursquare and suss out whether there are fruitful marketing opportunities.

Spoiler alert: there are.

Click here for the full-color PDF, and please feel free to share with clients!

Or, if you’d prefer the text only version, continue reading below.

Here and Now (with Foursquare)

We know, we know. You just congratulated yourself after successfully introducing your clients to Twitter, but as you headed for the door, they causally asked, “By the way, what’s this Foursquare thing?” Yup, we’ve got a new tech du jour. With over a million check-ins per week, and everyone from Bravo to Harvard jumping on board, you’d better learn how to play nice with Foursquare.

Let’s say you found yourself at, oh, I don’t know, the Holiday Inn’s Cityscape bar. If you “checked in” using the Foursquare mobile app, your friends would be updated with your current location and could choose to join (or avoid?) you. You could also feed your check-in to Facebook and Twitter, which is far easier than climbing on the rooftop and screaming, “Hey! Everyone! Look at me!”

Oh, by the way, you just started playing a game. For every venue, Foursquare crowns the most frequent visitor as “Mayor” (we’ll let you make your own assumption about who’s “running” Cityscape). If the bragging rights aren’t enough motivation, a number of establishments have started offering discounts (or free drinks) to whoever “earns” their Foursquare mayorship. Got your attention now, didn’t we? Wait, where are you going? Get back here!

Oh, by the way, you’re also living inside a user-generated recommendation engine. For each check-in, Foursquare encourages you to offer tips, which are essentially brief reviews or recommended things to do at a given location (such as “bankrupt the bar via their frequent wine drinker card”). Foursquare offers links to Yelp reviews as well, in case you want more in-depth information.

Oh, by the way, you’re also competing against the entire Foursquare community. Each check-in generates points (with bonuses for trying new places, traveling longer distances, etc.), and Foursquare maintains a weekly leaderboard, despite Foursquare’s acknowledgment that they don’t know what they’re doing with it just yet. (However, they recently got Pepsi to contribute to CampInteractive for every point added during a specified week.) Plus, you can acquire “badges” based on different activities; for instance, check in to three bars with photobooths and you’ll get the “Photogenic” badge. (More on these in a second.)

But before we go any further, let’s address the two questions that are driving you crazy right now. First, isn’t this an insane violation of privacy? Insane, maybe, but not violating. The service doesn’t “track” your whereabouts; you choose to check-in (or not) at any given location. (As always, the best way to learn about – and stop fearing – these services is to sign up and experience them for yourself.) Second, is Foursquare more likely to be the next Twitter or the next Second Life? Actually, the prospects look pretty good. Someone is going to crack the code on real-time location, whether it’s Foursquare or Loopt, or Google Latitude, or Gowalla, or a site that’s bound to pop up tomorrow. (Foursquare just happens to have a head start.) Sure, these services are a bit invasive and self-absorbed, but they’re also easy to use, addictive, and admittedly kinda fun. Better yet, they use technology to get people off of the couch and interacting in real life, even if these folks are staring at their phones half the time. Still, this isn’t for everyone, and never will be. After all, it took your mom this long to get on Facebook, and that site doesn’t even reveal your location… yet.

Now, the million-dollar question: should marketers play ball with Foursquare? Actually, it’s not much of a question, ‘cause it’s already happening. We’ve got a boatload of examples on The Awesome Blog, but essentially, it’s all about the badges. For instance, Explore Chicago created a number of badges to encourage people to check out the city; their On Location badge lets you trace the trajectories of famous Chicago-based movies like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, High Fidelity, and Blago Goes to Jail. (Wait, scratch that last one.) What’s the benefit of earning a Foursquare badge? About the same as earning one in Cub Scouts: impressing your circle of fellow dorks. But, we’ve previously noted that peer recognition can be an effective form of currency, so that’s not something to trivialize. For instance, if Corona created a badge highlighting the five most laid-back bars in a given city, consumers would probably be proud to display that to their friends. (Say, that’s a good idea!) Such badges work two-fold; on the one hand, it’s essentially free schwag for the consumer’s participation in a fun game. Plus, Corona looks like a Hometown Hero by highlighting some lesser-known spots in a consumer’s neighborhood.

Admittedly, though, the best is yet to come. We’ve corralled a number of emerging applications of these technologies on The Awesome Blog, as well as some hints about what the future holds. For now, at least you can say that you’re completely caught up on the latest in every social networking platf– wait, what the hell is Google Buzz?

Check out who’s checking in at theawesomeblog.net?

For those who don’t remember, alternate reality gaming (not to be confused with augmented reality) essentially overlays a (social) fantasy game on the real world, using real people and real products to create an elaborate story that unfolds in real life.

[For a more in-depth refresher, check out our Potty Posting on the subject: This is Not a Clue - Alternate Reality Gaming.]

But, back to the matter at hand. Iron Man 2 clues are starting to trickle out, such as the image shown to the right. The same newspaper clipping (with a different highlighted word) has been sequentially distributed a small number of websites, including SuperHeroHype.com and CHUD.com (the latter standing for Cinematic Happenings Under Development). The emergence of clues on these websites is no accident, as the marketers have deliberately targeted sites that they know are populated with fans who will actively collaborate and collect the clues. After all, these games often require a pretty significant investment in terms of sharing and discussing theories, so the studio is wisely targeting niche sites that will drive intense buzz among their networks. (Hey, that’s viral marketing!)

Check out the latest clue for yourself at CHUD, and follow their links to the message board to see what else is popping up. If this ends up heading in a compelling direction, we’ll throw an update your way right here on the Awesome Blog.

Thanks to frequent ARG-spotter (and Pootie provocateur) Rich Scarle for the tip.

The PDF includes more pictures like “Whistler’s Mommy Blogger” to the right. (That image, as well as the images in the posting, all come from Mike Licht at Flickr. Be sure to check out his entire collection!) For a text-only version of the posting, just continue reading!

Mother Knows Best

Well, mother and her network of online friends

Last posting, we introduced you to the radical idea that women actually use the internet. (Don’t laugh too hard; we’ve had to convince clients of this before.) Obviously, you know better, but you might not have realized that women are the majority online, that they’re extremely active participants, and that they’re creating much of the web’s most desirable content. It’s not hard to figure out why: while the American Dream allows us to choose between 7,983 stroller models, that kind of selection tends to be a little overwhelming without the trusted advice of our peers. Today’s mom isn’t just “on the internet” – she’s consuming it in a uniquely social manner. She wants to get online, get her recommendations, buy her items (about half of moms using social media base purchases on blogger recommendations), and be done before her little Billy sticks a fork in the wall socket and blacks out a city block.

Thus, we have to start this discussion with the “mommy blogger” phenomenon, which has been so insatiable for marketers that we probably need a variation of “cougar” to describe them (“ocelot” doesn’t quite have the same charm). The number one thing working for these moms is their perceived authenticity, especially compared to traditional PR and corporate-run sites. These ladies also tend to be much more entertaining, informal, and irreverent than traditional marketers; when was the last time a Huggies ad encouraged mom to grab a margarita? With 8 million women writing blogs, and a collective audience of over 22 million women, brands have learned to embrace this community.

Now, we know the temptation here is to find the most popular blogger and toss giant bags of cash at her until she shills for your product (by the way, you do know that blogger freebies are now regulated by the FTC, right?), but we recommend targeting bloggers in the same way that you target consumers. Forget about the most popular bloggers for now, and take a good look through a number of authors’ archives (and comment sections) to get an idea of which niches they best represent. Better yet, go beyond sponsoring the blog and partner with the author. After all, there’s a reason why she commands a significant (and engaged) audience: she obviously has a nuanced, insightful perspective that, frankly, you don’t. Why not work with her to come up with better targeted, more insightful, and more innovative ways of interacting with moms? GoodNites bedwetting products did this with Meagan Francis, who now writes articles for the site and answers parenting questions. WalMart even created their own mommy blogger community, which immediately drove all the mom & pop blogs on Main Street out of business (kidding!). Without a doubt, these bloggers hold an uncharacteristically large amount of sway over their audiences, and wooing them is a smart strategy (as long as you and she are both fully transparent about said wooing). But, what’s being lost in all the hullabaloo is that Mommy Blogs are really social networks in disguise. GASP!! SHRIEK!! More on that in a second!

As with gaming, there seems to be a persistent, but totally unfounded idea that women, and especially moms, don’t dig social networking. Can we finally kill this notion if we tell you that Roper recently found that 90% of new moms frequent social networks? Yes, the busiest, most harried people on the planet are active participants on Facebook (where women outnumber men 1.35 to 1) and Twitter and the like. These sites serve as much needed links to the outside world, as they’re undoubtedly the best spots for keeping up with their inner circle of friends and family, sharing photos, and general socializing. (Don’t be so shocked. Keep in mind that most of today’s “new moms” are young enough to have been raised on the internet, texting, and Justin Timberlake as a sex symbol.)

But, these broad communities (I promise no pun intended) aren’t necessarily where the most interesting mom conversations are happening. After all, if you’re pregnant and you suddenly find yourself unable to stomach vegetables, how much help will your network of coworkers and high school friends really provide? On the other hand, a community of like-minded pregnant women and newborn moms would certainly have useful anecdotes to share. In fact, babycenter.com addresses the veggie puking, along with more than 100 other questions in their brilliantly organized “Is it safe?” and “Is it normal?” sections. And, as hinted above, there are de facto social networks hidden in the bowels of mommy blogs. After all, the blogger’s voice is just the loudest in a (virtual) room that features comment sections, message boards, discussion forums (all of which we can track with our Radian6 subscription). The ability for moms to voice their concerns and receive a quick, genuine response is perhaps the biggest draw of these blogs; a smart blogger will openly draw on their readership for this diversity of opinions. Since almost 60% of moms’ conversations mention brands anyway, just throwing targeted display ads at these sites misses the treasure troves of qualitative data that they have to offer. Just scanning the aforementioned babycenter sections provides a remarkably nuanced collection of passion points for moms, so why not supplement your focus groups with real moms sharing their biggest concerns for free? Oh, internet, is there anything you can’t do? Oh, that’s right, you can’t verify the validity of breaking balloon boy news. But for everything else, we cool.

Cut & Paste is still going strong, as is the idea that everyone benefits from bringing creative minds together and seeing how they work. The video above, courtesy of the fine folks at PSFK, provides a brief overview of the competition, the competitors, and the concepts behind the exhibition.

Stay tuned this week for some more details on the topic, as well as a whole slew of great examples. But without further ado, onto the posting!

DUDE! Viral Marketing to Dudes Is Easy

How to spread faster than Swine Flu

Let’s say that your client has struggled for years to crack the code of the highly desirable young male demographic. Recently, the client read somewhere that these dudes are especially receptive to “viral marketing.” Boy, did the brand trip all over itself to fling its first “viral campaign” out the door: a “hilarious” site that was doused in branding, loaded with “Which Entourage Character Are You?” quizzes, and a tweeting mascot. The only problem: their “viral campaign” got trumped by the latest Farting Preacher clip on Youtube, so now the client’s vowing to never advertise online again.

DUUUUUUDE, we’re all making this way too difficult. Men are NOT from Mars; they’re just “dudes.” We’ve been marketing to dudes for years, and we know how to do this! It’s possible that we just got a bit distracted by marketers hyping up their supposedly “viral” campaigns, which ended up completely missing the mark. But let’s step back and think about how dudes normally interact, what they’re already passing along to their friends, and how a brand can wedge itself in amongst that content.

DUDE DICTUM #1: Dudes like to publicly humiliate, embarrass, and prank other dudes.
They’re the first to call a dude and mock him when his team loses. They tell embarrassing stories to a dude’s significant other. They prank each other with fake lawsuits (just ask Cronin or Crokin). They haze the dude, they draw on him with Sharpies, they laugh at him, and they do it all because they’re the dude’s “friends.” Sounds sadistic? Sounds nonsensical? Sounds like you’re not watching Pardon the Interruption or listening to Howard Stern or reading the Sports Guy on ESPN.com, or even watching Punk’d. Dumb or not (okay, it is pretty dumb), it’s just the way dudes tend to interact, so you might as well roll with it. If your campaign has an element where dudes can humiliate a friend, there’s a very good chance they’ll jump at that opportunity. And when they’ve sent that friend the humiliating photo/video/message, congrats, you’re a viral marketer! Anything that involves a user-submission is ripe for this. For instance, let’s say you’re doing research for a Potty Posting and you stumble across a site that lets you upload photos onto the heads of Chippendale’s dancers. Then, you remember that your coworkers have tons of embarrassing holiday party photos on the public drive. You could safely assume that some “dude” would be posting that video within seconds on some public forum (such as, I don’t know, right here on The Awesome Blog?), making this an ideal example of how dudes happily share branded content at the expense of other dudes. (All of this is done in the name of education and edification, of course.)

Bonus tip: Those “Was that real?” videos have a built-in element of friend pranking, since dudes can see which of their friends will fall for them (and maybe test the water if they’re not sure if the vids are real). Whether they’re real or fake doesn’t really matter, as long as the content stimulates conversation and/or debates. The clips that must be fake generate their own discussions about “how did they do that?” especially among dudes who fancy themselves to be amateur mythbusters (along with all those dudes who debate for the sake of debating).

DUDE DICTUM #2: Dudes like to compete, and beat, their friends.
There’s a reason that everything from pickup games to poker games come with a healthy serving of trash-talking: dudes that aren’t embarrassing their friends outright can always humiliate each other by dominating them in competition. Why not stimulate some battles between friends at sites like ibeatyou.com, a social network where people can challenge each other to various competitions? Challenges are inherently “viral,” since challenging someone requires that something be passed along, and it might as well have your brand on it. Again, it doesn’t hurt to make this triumph public: ibeatyou.com has even integrated with Facebook Connect so that all challenges (and victories) can be publicized in each user’s news stream.

DUDE DICTUM #3: Dudes like “dude stuff!”
This point is so obvious that it barely needs its own dictum, except for the fact that we’re so quick to forget it. Without dude humor (and making dudes laugh will NEVER get old), dude-oriented content, and stuff that dudes like, no dude’s going to give your supposedly “viral” content the time of day. We all know the timeless qualities that appeal to dudes: sex, controversy, gross out humor, and stuff smashing into other stuff. Unfortunately, we’re so used to seeing these elements used in such dumbed-down ways (beer ads, we’re looking at you) that we’ve forgotten how to integrate them into great executions. The two extremes aren’t mutually exclusive: tie these longstanding proclivities in with quick wit, unexpected twists, or in-on-the-joke humor and you’ll see results. (Of course we’ve got plenty of examples of this on TheAwesomeBlog.net.) At the end of the day, you know these dudes. They’re your brothers, cousins, friends, coworkers, and probably your dads, too. Do a bit of “dude diligence” before your campaign heads out the door, and ask them if they’d be willing to pass this on to their friends. If not, we’ll expect your campaign to go more monkeypox than “viral.”

the hotspot for haute thought is the pot at upshot

Facebook Connect Potty Posting.

One of the apps that’s mentioned in the posting (as well as on the in-office projectors) is Tap Tap Revenge 2. A demo for the game is available on Youtube, although the video doesn’t specifically call out the Facebook Connect integration. Still, it helps to see how FB Connect could fit into a live game; starting at the 0:16 mark of the video, you can see how players can challenge their peers on specific songs. With FB connect, the winner can broadcast their victory (see the 0:24 mark) on their Facebook feeds for all to see, assuming that a TTR2 victory is something worth bragging about.