It seems that Dutch customers aren't the only ones celebrating history with Volkswagen.
Volkswagen UK, in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Golf GTI, has done a little something special to outfit one 2011 Golf:
Not sure if VW engineers studied under Doc Brown, and it appears they may have made some upgrades (their flux capacitor seems to engage well before reaching 88 mph), but regardless, their return to 1976 has certainly taken us back to 1985.
A visit to Facebook.com/VolkswagenUK allows fans to follow the continuing adventures of these time travelers in their VW Golf, as so far they've witnessed other significant events in the history of Volkswagen and the United Kingdom. Fans can follow the time travelers' updates, watch video recordings of their progress, and even listen to the radio stations of days gone by.
Well done, Volkwagen, in connecting your audience to yet another pop culture icon - this time, by outfitting a 2011 vehicle with 1985 technology. We'll be following you as your Golf comes back to the future.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Giving a Push, Gaining Momentum
Twenty years from now, when a biographer asks UK band Summer Camp to tell the secret of how they gained such fame, the band members might answer that it's all because of make-up.
Not because of anything distinctive about their own make-up, à la KISS, but because of a promotional partnership with UK retailer Boots' cosmetics brand, 17. 17 Cosmetics selected Summer Camp as the first band featured in its latest campaign, which pairs an exclusive song by an up-and-coming band with each of 17's new cosmetic products.
Consumers receive access to the music video for Summer Camp's new single "You Might Get Stuck On Me" by liking 17's Facebook page, which also shares information about the band (an "indie-electro" duo who are "totally inspired by movies like The Breakfast Club and 80s American teen culture"), and offers a free download of the song for those who share the page with their friends.
"You Might Get Stuck On Me" was written by Summer Camp especially for the 17 campaign, and is being co-branded with 17's new Magnetize Nail Polish, which is fitted with a magnet. (Get it?)
The campaign is an example of how helping one b(r)and get started can help build momentum for two brands.
For any new band, one of the biggest challenges is spreading exposure and gaining a following. By partnering with an already-established brand (retailer Boots and their cosmetic line 17), Summer Camp gets its music in front of potentially hundreds of thousands of customers, who might become fans. Boots, in turn, increases its relevancy and "cool-factor" by becoming a music maven who introduces its young customers to the next major artists (giving customers the prestige of being some of the first fans of the next great band, should the band go on to achieve success).
Thus, a little partnership brings worthy content to consumers, and improves brand awareness and reputation for both partners. Sounds like a hit to me.
Not because of anything distinctive about their own make-up, à la KISS, but because of a promotional partnership with UK retailer Boots' cosmetics brand, 17. 17 Cosmetics selected Summer Camp as the first band featured in its latest campaign, which pairs an exclusive song by an up-and-coming band with each of 17's new cosmetic products.
Consumers receive access to the music video for Summer Camp's new single "You Might Get Stuck On Me" by liking 17's Facebook page, which also shares information about the band (an "indie-electro" duo who are "totally inspired by movies like The Breakfast Club and 80s American teen culture"), and offers a free download of the song for those who share the page with their friends.
"You Might Get Stuck On Me" was written by Summer Camp especially for the 17 campaign, and is being co-branded with 17's new Magnetize Nail Polish, which is fitted with a magnet. (Get it?)
The campaign is an example of how helping one b(r)and get started can help build momentum for two brands.
For any new band, one of the biggest challenges is spreading exposure and gaining a following. By partnering with an already-established brand (retailer Boots and their cosmetic line 17), Summer Camp gets its music in front of potentially hundreds of thousands of customers, who might become fans. Boots, in turn, increases its relevancy and "cool-factor" by becoming a music maven who introduces its young customers to the next major artists (giving customers the prestige of being some of the first fans of the next great band, should the band go on to achieve success).
Thus, a little partnership brings worthy content to consumers, and improves brand awareness and reputation for both partners. Sounds like a hit to me.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Showing Honor
A sign of a healthy society is that people show honor where honor is due.
In America, we have special days set aside to honor various groups of people. Presidents. Mothers. Fathers. Fallen heroes. Grandparents. Bosses. Administrative Professionals. Veterans.
Such days are meant as outcroppings of the love and respect that we ought to show one another every day. A healthy society honors individuals continually, not only for what they do, but for who they are.
We honor the President of the United States because he is the leader of our nation, not because we agree or disagree with him.
We honor mothers, fathers, and grandparents because they have paved the way before us, and are given to us to lead, love, nurture, care for, and teach us.
We honor bosses because they lead. We honor administrative professionals because they serve.
We honor veterans and fallen heroes because they committed their lives and their freedom to protect the lives and freedom of others.
We ought similarly to honor all who lead and serve us. Doctors. Sales clerks. Waitresses. Flight attendants. Firefighters. Police officers. Teachers. Coaches. Janitors. Groundskeepers. Coworkers. Classmates. We don't honor them for what they've done or haven't done. We honor them for the position they've taken - the commitment they've made to lead and to serve. We honor them for their natural position as fellow human beings, worthy of dignity and honor. We honor them because we ourselves are men and women of honor.
When we show honor to others, we show ourselves honorable, and we ourselves receive honor. By honoring others, by thanking them, by appreciating them, we empower them to continue to lead and serve us well. We give them a reason to honor us.
Honor improves the way we lead, the way we serve, the way we live.
Happy Veteran's Day. Show honor today.
In America, we have special days set aside to honor various groups of people. Presidents. Mothers. Fathers. Fallen heroes. Grandparents. Bosses. Administrative Professionals. Veterans.
Such days are meant as outcroppings of the love and respect that we ought to show one another every day. A healthy society honors individuals continually, not only for what they do, but for who they are.
We honor the President of the United States because he is the leader of our nation, not because we agree or disagree with him.
We honor mothers, fathers, and grandparents because they have paved the way before us, and are given to us to lead, love, nurture, care for, and teach us.
We honor bosses because they lead. We honor administrative professionals because they serve.
We honor veterans and fallen heroes because they committed their lives and their freedom to protect the lives and freedom of others.
We ought similarly to honor all who lead and serve us. Doctors. Sales clerks. Waitresses. Flight attendants. Firefighters. Police officers. Teachers. Coaches. Janitors. Groundskeepers. Coworkers. Classmates. We don't honor them for what they've done or haven't done. We honor them for the position they've taken - the commitment they've made to lead and to serve. We honor them for their natural position as fellow human beings, worthy of dignity and honor. We honor them because we ourselves are men and women of honor.
When we show honor to others, we show ourselves honorable, and we ourselves receive honor. By honoring others, by thanking them, by appreciating them, we empower them to continue to lead and serve us well. We give them a reason to honor us.
Honor improves the way we lead, the way we serve, the way we live.
Happy Veteran's Day. Show honor today.
Monday, November 7, 2011
When Life Pauses
There are moments when normal life gets put on hold.
For folks at the university where I work, one of these moments took place last Friday afternoon, when a bus of students and faculty overturned en route to another town for a service project.
The travelers on the bus had intended to spend the weekend at a children's home. Instead, many spent the weekend in hospitals. One spent the weekend at a welcome home party in Heaven.
For those of us who were in our offices, or homes, or dorm rooms when the news broke, life paused for the weekend.
It no longer seemed important that we had to prepare for a big meeting on Monday, or that she needed to make some headway on her term paper, or that they were absorbing the news that their positions would be eliminated within the year, or that he had been planning to go out with his friends that night.
Instead, we started preparing for the drive to the hospital. She gathered with her friends around the TV and their smartphones to watch the incoming updates. They left work early to be with their families. He decided to head to the prayer service instead of the club.
The university's social media channels lit up with prayers, questions, and proffered answers. A little-used "emergency" blog became a flowing newsreel. Local news stations received more 18-to-24-year-old viewers than ever in their history. High school football games paused for a moment of silence. Hostile and critical commenters were nowhere to be heard.
Instead of football, work, entertainment, and rivalries, our attentions became focused on love, family, comfort, mourning, community, life, healing, tenderness.
We've become concerned for students we've never even met. We've postponed important meetings to schedule time for corporate prayer, weeping, and thanksgiving for lives lived and healing begun. We've laid aside differences to offer kindness and compassion toward one another.
Right now, we want to be in communication, and we want to be together. Normal life can wait for a while.
Perhaps it would do us all a bit of good if normal life included more of this unity, communication, and love - without requiring tragedy to remind us of these things.
For folks at the university where I work, one of these moments took place last Friday afternoon, when a bus of students and faculty overturned en route to another town for a service project.
The travelers on the bus had intended to spend the weekend at a children's home. Instead, many spent the weekend in hospitals. One spent the weekend at a welcome home party in Heaven.
For those of us who were in our offices, or homes, or dorm rooms when the news broke, life paused for the weekend.
It no longer seemed important that we had to prepare for a big meeting on Monday, or that she needed to make some headway on her term paper, or that they were absorbing the news that their positions would be eliminated within the year, or that he had been planning to go out with his friends that night.
Instead, we started preparing for the drive to the hospital. She gathered with her friends around the TV and their smartphones to watch the incoming updates. They left work early to be with their families. He decided to head to the prayer service instead of the club.
The university's social media channels lit up with prayers, questions, and proffered answers. A little-used "emergency" blog became a flowing newsreel. Local news stations received more 18-to-24-year-old viewers than ever in their history. High school football games paused for a moment of silence. Hostile and critical commenters were nowhere to be heard.
Instead of football, work, entertainment, and rivalries, our attentions became focused on love, family, comfort, mourning, community, life, healing, tenderness.
We've become concerned for students we've never even met. We've postponed important meetings to schedule time for corporate prayer, weeping, and thanksgiving for lives lived and healing begun. We've laid aside differences to offer kindness and compassion toward one another.
Right now, we want to be in communication, and we want to be together. Normal life can wait for a while.
Perhaps it would do us all a bit of good if normal life included more of this unity, communication, and love - without requiring tragedy to remind us of these things.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Facebook Meets the Sixties
Volkswagen won't be the first auto manufacturer to integrate social media functions into their vehicles.
In the past year GM has added hands-free calling and texting, turn-by-turn navigation, and Facebook features into its OnStar roadside assistance system, allowing drivers to listen to their Facebook news feed, get directions, and respond to text messages via voice command. Prior to that, Ford introduced its Microsoft-powered Sync system, which provides drivers and passengers with hands-free calling and texting, voice-activated music selection, smartphone app connectivity, and GPS navigation.
But Volkswagen might be the first to retrofit these features - or some of them, at least in a manner of speaking - into a classic van or beetle.
One Facebook fan of Volkswagen Nederland will win the title to the Volkswagen "Fanwagen," which will come stocked with a "Feed-O-Matic" Facebook newsfeed printer in the dashboard, a gearshift in the shape of the Facebook "Like" symbol, a license plate displaying one's relationship status, a poke button on the steering wheel, a "Friend Finder" map with one's friends' hometowns plotted on it, a birthday notification system, and privacy settings (Facebook-blue curtains over the windows).
All of Volkswagen Nederland's Facebook fans get to help choose which iconic VW vehicle will come with all these trimmings. As of 8:00am this morning, the van was beating out the beetle with 69% of the votes.
Pretty fun idea from Volkswagen. Not because many consumers will get to enjoy driving a Facebook-connected vehicle (only one will win the Fanwagen, even if the vehicle's features do actually work), but because consumers get to chuckle about this whimsical mix of old and new, and get to vote for their favorite VW classic.
Folks (or "volks") enjoy whimsy, enjoy being connected, and enjoy a little bit of nostalgia. Combining these elements in a social-media campaign can be a great way to create a bit of fun for consumers - and potentially strengthen your fan base.
In the past year GM has added hands-free calling and texting, turn-by-turn navigation, and Facebook features into its OnStar roadside assistance system, allowing drivers to listen to their Facebook news feed, get directions, and respond to text messages via voice command. Prior to that, Ford introduced its Microsoft-powered Sync system, which provides drivers and passengers with hands-free calling and texting, voice-activated music selection, smartphone app connectivity, and GPS navigation.
But Volkswagen might be the first to retrofit these features - or some of them, at least in a manner of speaking - into a classic van or beetle.
One Facebook fan of Volkswagen Nederland will win the title to the Volkswagen "Fanwagen," which will come stocked with a "Feed-O-Matic" Facebook newsfeed printer in the dashboard, a gearshift in the shape of the Facebook "Like" symbol, a license plate displaying one's relationship status, a poke button on the steering wheel, a "Friend Finder" map with one's friends' hometowns plotted on it, a birthday notification system, and privacy settings (Facebook-blue curtains over the windows).
All of Volkswagen Nederland's Facebook fans get to help choose which iconic VW vehicle will come with all these trimmings. As of 8:00am this morning, the van was beating out the beetle with 69% of the votes.
Pretty fun idea from Volkswagen. Not because many consumers will get to enjoy driving a Facebook-connected vehicle (only one will win the Fanwagen, even if the vehicle's features do actually work), but because consumers get to chuckle about this whimsical mix of old and new, and get to vote for their favorite VW classic.
Folks (or "volks") enjoy whimsy, enjoy being connected, and enjoy a little bit of nostalgia. Combining these elements in a social-media campaign can be a great way to create a bit of fun for consumers - and potentially strengthen your fan base.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Who's Your Granny?
"All caps should be knitted by grandmothers."
Or, at least, that's the philosophy of Jérémy Emsellem, founder of Golden Hook, an online purveyor of knitted caps. And so, that's what Golden Hook does - sells caps knitted by real, honest-to-goodness grandmothers.
Jérémy started knitting and selling caps himself when he was a 23-year-old Parisian college student. During a visit to his great-aunt's nursing home, he asked some of his aunt's friends if they would be interested in crocheting hats as a way to occupy their time and earn a little cash. They agreed, and Golden Hook was born.
Golden Hook now employs more than twenty grandmothers (yes, they all have grandchildren - even the youngest, who is 48) to knit and crochet hats made from French wool, merino, mohair, angora, or Egyptian cotton. And these grannies are not just nameless, faceless octogenarians - the ladies post their names, faces and stories on the Golden Hook website, and as part of the ordering process, the customer may select which grandmother he would like to knit his cap. He can even send that granny a personal "thank you" message, or request that she sign her name on the cap's label.
The customer may also customize his cap, choosing between three styles, and selecting the color to be used on each knit row.
(Golden Hook also offers a selection of pre-made, non-customized hats, scarfs, bracelets, and other knit and crocheted accessories, but why be boring?)
What's the draw here? Why are customers interested in knowing who knitted their caps?
Perhaps it's the human element - we enjoy connecting, even in some small way, with other human beings. We like seeing faces and hearing stories. We appreciate reminders that a person is a person, not a number or a machine - perhaps because we, ourselves, prefer being seen by others as a person. We enjoy being known, and so we enjoy knowing.
And so we like it when our server at the restaurant wears a name tag and introduces herself as Jessica. We like it when the barista writes on our to-go coffee cup, "brewed by Bobby." And we like it when we can say that our wool cap was knitted by Michelle, the former hairdresser from Lyon who loves to tango.
When your customers interact with your organization, do they feel like they are interacting with people, or with machines? Even in the most automated industry, can you find ways to foster that human connection? To help your customer feel that she is a person, and that a person is serving her?
Or, at least, that's the philosophy of Jérémy Emsellem, founder of Golden Hook, an online purveyor of knitted caps. And so, that's what Golden Hook does - sells caps knitted by real, honest-to-goodness grandmothers.
Jérémy started knitting and selling caps himself when he was a 23-year-old Parisian college student. During a visit to his great-aunt's nursing home, he asked some of his aunt's friends if they would be interested in crocheting hats as a way to occupy their time and earn a little cash. They agreed, and Golden Hook was born.
Golden Hook now employs more than twenty grandmothers (yes, they all have grandchildren - even the youngest, who is 48) to knit and crochet hats made from French wool, merino, mohair, angora, or Egyptian cotton. And these grannies are not just nameless, faceless octogenarians - the ladies post their names, faces and stories on the Golden Hook website, and as part of the ordering process, the customer may select which grandmother he would like to knit his cap. He can even send that granny a personal "thank you" message, or request that she sign her name on the cap's label.
The customer may also customize his cap, choosing between three styles, and selecting the color to be used on each knit row.
(Golden Hook also offers a selection of pre-made, non-customized hats, scarfs, bracelets, and other knit and crocheted accessories, but why be boring?)
What's the draw here? Why are customers interested in knowing who knitted their caps?
Perhaps it's the human element - we enjoy connecting, even in some small way, with other human beings. We like seeing faces and hearing stories. We appreciate reminders that a person is a person, not a number or a machine - perhaps because we, ourselves, prefer being seen by others as a person. We enjoy being known, and so we enjoy knowing.
And so we like it when our server at the restaurant wears a name tag and introduces herself as Jessica. We like it when the barista writes on our to-go coffee cup, "brewed by Bobby." And we like it when we can say that our wool cap was knitted by Michelle, the former hairdresser from Lyon who loves to tango.
When your customers interact with your organization, do they feel like they are interacting with people, or with machines? Even in the most automated industry, can you find ways to foster that human connection? To help your customer feel that she is a person, and that a person is serving her?
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