#BrilliantMachines - GE and Brilliant Use of Social Media

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A few weeks back we were watching Saturday Night Live (SNL) and then the following came on:

At first it looked like it was part of SNL.  Then it became clear - it wasn't.  It was a GE commercial.    It was a thoroughly entertaining and clever use of Agent Smith and The Matrix.  So much so, that both my wife and I commented on how the commercial was more entertaining than the previous SNL skit. 
I went to Twitter and posted my thoughts:

 I was pleasantly surprised when I received the following response:

And in my Direct Message box was the following:

Now this is getting interesting...

So, I sent in my info and the other day I received a package in the mail with the GE logo on back.

 

 

I opened it up....

 

A picture of me, a blend of my avatar and pixelated images of the commercial.  Cool!  I flipped it over.

Hello Michael,

Thanks for connecting with us on Twitter! Just like you, we believe in the power of technology to connect people and improve our lives.

Intrigued? Agent Smith was too.
Based on our conversation, we can tell you are indeed an agent of good, so we've enclosed a few items as our way of saying thanks.
(A list of what's enclosed...)
Enjoy & remember that just like #BrilliantMachines, we work better when we work together.

 I then went through the box:

Red and Blue lollipops- just like the commercial, (and a non-pharmaceutical homage to the red and blue pills of The Matrix.)

A handful of refrigerator magnets  that depict some of GE's #BrilliantMachines.

And a Fandango gift card.

Instantly my mind went back to the closing presentation at FUSE2013 by Steve Peters.  He emphasized how social media should be used in engaging and compelling ways so as to make people feel like they're in a movie.  In other words,  multiple types of media should be used in ways that makes people feel like they're rockstars. 

This also reminded me of KLM and their use of social media to create customized experiences for travelers that, yes, made them feel like popstars.

In the bigger scheme of things, what happened here with GE, or at FUSE, or with KLM, are not necessarily 'big' things.  But as people in relationships will say, it's the little things that matter. 

Creating a coherent, fun, and memorable experience in a 'little' way, (lollipops, magnets, Matrix motif paraphernalia) is a brilliant way to build brand - to build a relationship.

And isn't that what it's all about:

 

Relationships?

About the Author

Michael Plishka is the President of ZenStorming, a design and innovation consultancy. He can be followed on Twitter @Plish and through LinkedIn.



Read more at his  ZenStorming Blog.

The May FUSE Pack: Design, Culture, Brand Strategy & Packaging

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Here's a round-up of FUSE 2013 coverage from around the web:

The Time Needed to Build a Strong Brand

FUSE Conference 2013 – Chicago

Event Recap - FUSE 2013


Here’s a look back at FUSE 2013:
•             Photos from the FUSE | CIULLA Welcome Cocktail Reception
•             FUSE Photo Gallery
•             #FuseDesign Media Archive

Disruption & Design Thinking: From Hierarchies to Hubs

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Recently, I found myself in the audience of a keynote panel discussion at the annual ePharma event in New York City. There were very successful people in the pharmaceutical industry asking questions like ‘how do we incorporate digital into our company’s DNA?’

One panel member vented by saying that Pharma companies had to stop investing in apps that merely promoted and sold their own products. A few weeks later, I found myself presenting a business case to colleague of mine. A very busy woman, with many things on her plate, she began multitasking by intermittently texting with important contacts throughout our discussion. As I was making the point that ‘digital disrupts everything’ I couldn’t resist but to point out that it was disrupting the very conversation we were having. She was almost aghast at herself for her behavior and put her phone down immediately.

Though this may bother a lot of us I didn’t really mind it at all. It kind of validates the case I've made. And I think its fair to say that this behavior is much more acceptable today than it would have been a decade ago.

We are all beginning to understand it more and accept it more. We are all in some way beginning to adjust to living disrupted lives. This is a new reality that is not going to go away.

Digital has taken us over. We know this.

But we don’t yet know the long term implications of its pervasiveness. There are many exciting things about instantaneous global connection to one another. On Facebook I find myself frequently connecting with my cousins in Argentina or the nanny who helped my mom when I was a baby now living in Iceland.

I’ve had conversations with digital artists from almost every continent on the globe sitting in my living room. I’m reacquainting myself with friends from decades ago who I would have never suspected to see again if it wasn’t for ‘digital.’

Twenty years ago the smart phone didn’t exist. Today there are 5 billion. I saw a recent study that said there were significantly more images uploaded to the internet in 2011 than all of the photographs created by analog photography EVER.

Ben Blumenfeld who spoke at FUSE 2011 (then the creative lead at Facebook), shared a story about how Facebook wanted to create a language translation platform. Originally they projected enormous costs in creating the platform that would take up huge amounts of time and eat up resources. They then turned it over to their network and had a the first iteration created in days at very little cost.

So how do we adjust what we’re doing within this digital takeover?

What is the shift in the psychology that will best help us handle the digital invasion? I couldn’t possibly begin to answer this on a global scale but from a design perspective, as a director of the creation of websites and a communicator of business strategy, I’ll sum it up by saying we need to move from hierarchies to hubs.

If you haven’t wrapped your head around this yet the fundamental shift in mindset is from the traditional ‘hierarchy-type’ thinking to ‘network-type’ thinking.

This is such a great opportunity for design thinkers as it is conceptual and abstract. There is much work to be done in business everywhere. Ideas now need to be constantly drawn out and refined. It also presents opportunity for designers as ‘pollinators’ in business. In the past we found ourselves floating from team to team within a corporate structure getting an idea of “the big picture” so that we could communicate it visually in the branding and design.

Today we can actually map out this journey in order to help the business understand its own network-based structure. This creates a great gateway from servicing our clients to partnering with them.

Digital: Hubs not Hierarchies

Many companies today still find themselves trying to “tackle” digital.

Successful digital approaches begin more from the creations of ‘hubs’ than the creation of hierarchies. A strong team paves way for a strong hub. And today a strong hub can create a global language translation platform accessible to the entire planet within days. A little insight can now go a long, long way. Pretty awesome.

About the Author

Dan Madinabeitia is the creative director for the Institute for International Research. He has been the design lead for hundreds of design campaigns within the events industry. Coming from a fine art background, Dan evolved into a graphic designer. Eventually he took on leadership roles involving the oversight of graphic and web design disciplines as well as the creative voice behind many digital marketing strategies. His work has been published in Photoshop Creative Magazine. Follow Dan @DanMadina on Twitter or on LinkedIn.

The Simple Truth to Breaking Through

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With the ongoing noise that surrounds consumers every day and the visual noise we invite into our lives, it is hardly surprising to see the trend of simplification. Many identities are being distilled down to their core assets in an effort to cut through the clutter and be easily identified.

At shelf, this philosophy needs to play a role as more and more noise is added on what seems to be a daily basis — design cliché after cliché and a yawn fest of so called “strategy” that is merely a value proposition disguised as a value-added emotional proposition to the consumer. Detergents, breakfast cereals, oral care, and pet care are solid examples of the “shout the loudest” and “be the brightest” design strategy at play.  Consumers have wised up in recent years like never before.

They understand the tricks, the strategies, and trends. They also know what they are looking for, and get frustrated when they cannot find it. Simplification and a distillation to the brand’s core is the key. Designing for how the consumer envisions the brand is step one; step two is having them identify the brand of choice within the magic three seconds at shelf; and step three is the validation and delight with the package in hand.

Every category has a distinct design language, and a brand within that category plays a role in defining that specific language. The goal is to be able to help lead the category evolution and growth while still engaging and delighting the consumer. Not easy.

Brands with solid and distinct assets need to hold a mirror up to themselves and the internal marketing team. Strip away the elements on the package one by one until you are left with the bare minimum with still maximum recognition. Play the old Chanel trick before you leave the house — take one thing off!

Clarity and transparency will be a huge factor in the future of consumer brands. Failure to connect quickly and emotionally could prove costly. The defendable assets that reside in the consumer’s mind is where it all starts and the associations the consumer holds from identity to emotion.

About the Author

Dyfed “Fred” Richards

Worldwide Creative Director, Consumer Branding

As a recognized leader in the global world of consumer brands, Fred champions the CPG team at The Brand Union. In his role as Worldwide Executive Creative Director, he collaborates closely with the network’s 23 offices. Fred has developed an unparalleled personal view on the new global consumer shopping and purchase habits and trends impacting retail and brand communications. He is currently bringing his invaluable strategic insights to clients such as GlaxoSmithKline, Reckitt Benckiser, and Kraft.

Fred has worked in the international design industry for more than 20 years, specifically in the CPG category. Having worked for some of the world’s leading branding and design companies in Britain, the USA, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, and New Zealand, he brings a multifaceted perspective and rich design philosophy to The Brand Union. Fred has led global teams for P&G, Bayer, Wrigley, AT&T, Valvoline, Lowe's, and Kroger. The retail, packaging, and design work that Fred developed for Swarovski more than ten years ago still stands today. Other former clients include Unilever, Kellogg’s, Bayer, Roche, Nestlé, Miller, and Guinness.

A much sought-after speaker at client and industry events, Fred is often featured for his thought leadership in international press publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Businessweek, Fast Company, Graphis, Communication Arts, Brandweek, and Shelf Impact. 



Fred is an avid rugby union player and fan. He has represented the Chicago Blaze Rugby Club, Ealing Rugby Club in London, and his hometown team in North Wales.