Be real. Be fun. Be wrong.

The Conversation Prism by Brian Solis and Jesse Thomas

Just stumbled across this advertisement that Leo Burnett did for Toyota way back in 2007.
If you jumped past the video you should know that the leaves are a byproduct of banana harvesting and are typically destroyed.

I actually think this would have been even better if they hadn’t cleaned and pressed the leaf both because it would have required less processing and the truck ad would’ve been more gritty, literally.

Trident has a broad consumer base that *might* make print advertising a relevant format. This ad would seem to indicate that Trident’s marketing team understands that one-way brand messaging is less valuable than the voice of their consumers.

Given that @TridentLayers’ first tweet was just four weeks before the ad hit the stands it seems like direct conversations with their customers is new for Trident, at least as it applies to twitter. Good. The more direct product feedback you can get the better your product will be.

In classic social mediagasm fashion 90% of the tweets in the last 24 hours have been about the advertisement and not about the gum.

Looks like the five sheet workbook I used to use (2001) has been rolled into a 99 cent app.

@kevinrose just tweeted about the partnership Digg.com and TOMS formed for holiday 2009.

Partnerships are such a great way to reach new customers and to expand the marketing/product/infrastructure ideas your noodling. In the past I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work on Timbuk2 + Threadless product and retail partnership programs and Headlands Center for the Arts + Timbuk2 artist partnership program. Both programs where affirmations of how adding innovative thinkers outside of your own company can produce results WAY beyond what your internal team alone can reach.
Who would you LOVE to partner with? Once you have the answer, get busy linkingin.

From Michael Arrington at TechCrunch

Here’s Some PR For You, CDNetworks

Nice little post from the Marketing folks at Moo re: recent insights for successful trade show presence after their eight-city tour.
Full article.

MOO BOOTH
Originally uploaded by danksy

…Glass more after watching this video. Didn’t think it was possible but there it is, more love.

This is such a clever campaign. Kudos to Bell & Partners.

It occurred to me as I was walking out of Gymboree with my free sample of Tide stain remover that I haven’t seen Tide on the shelf of my grocery store for a long time. No doubt that is due to the fact that I primarily shop at my neighborhood grocer who only offer Seventh Generation and Meyer’s brand cleaning products, or at Whole Foods who offer a broader range of eco-friendly brands but don’t expand into the “get this shit clean at any cost” brand categories (think: Tide).

So how did a Tide product make it into my nursery? Partnership.

I didn’t have to shop where they actually sell Tide; Tide found me where I (and many other SF moms) shop through a partnership with Gymboree and a marketing tool called “free sample”.

I did a quick search for more info on the partnership when I got home and was not surprised that Tide had also solicited one of the the Walmart Elevenmom bloggers, had a youtube video of a promo fashion show, and  lot’s of print-and-redeem coupons for the stain release product.

The PR release defines the partnership as follows:

to help parents across North America get more wear out of their kids’ clothing by choosing quality items that last and last, and giving parents easy and effective solutions for caring for those clothes. The holistic, multi-touch point partnership between Gymboree and Tide Stain Release includes web site integration, co-branded interactive components, and a robust in-store marketing program with over 30 Gymboree stores

Strategic partnerships are a great way reach folks outside of your existing customer base and leverage the customer loyalty your partner has established.

A few partnerships that I think would rule:

Delfina Pizzeria + Godspeed Courier

Peet’s Coffee + Caltrain

Starbucks + Curiosity Shop