Bonds 12 Days of Christmas

Over the Christmas holiday season, TV viewers were polarised by the BONDS Aussie remake (or rather distortion) of the 12 Days of Christmas. Here it is for the sake of argument. Ad makers say that when the audience is polarised, then they have succeeded with their ad campaign. So I guess you call this success? Well it definitely stuck in my mind, but not sure whether it made me want to buy BONDS for someone's Christmas present.. thoughts?

#smokedbywindowsphone at the CES

At the CES 2012, every promotion
1. bring in a crowd
2. leave an impression
3. send people off with a message to share

This promotion was very simple. Give away $100 to anyone who is able to update their Facebook and Twitter with the same message message faster than the Windows Phone representative. However, if you lose, you need take a mug shot holding up a sign that says "My phone just got smoked by Windows Phone". Check out the video for the execution. Great strategy!

Private Health Insurance competition heats up

I am not sure whether this is really the case but from an individual's point of view, it seems that the private health insurance wars have started to heat up a little. Here are a few anecdotal points

• Not too long ago, Medibank was offering a free movie ticket at my workplace to anyone who wants to get a quote from them about their private health insurance
• This was closely followed by MBF / BUPA who set up a little van out the front of the car park and arranged for consultations with staff, offering Coles/iTunes vouchers of $20. 
• Medibank sent a nice pamphlet recently to advertise their new mi Health medibank advice line
• They then followed up with a survey sent to presumably all their members asking whether they read through the pamphlet and whether this made them more or less likely to stay with Medibank or see them as providing value added services. 

This is quite interesting as I had recently wondered whether private health insurance companies could do more for their members. I look at examples overseas where health insurance providers would even organise parties etc or exclusive screenings for their members. Things like that.

Maybe that is a future strategy someone is willing to look at? I know it would sway one particular 30 year old private health insurance holder.

How to Effectively Use Foursquare Checking In

I and millions of others on this big blue planet have wondered, what's the point of Foursquare? I think its only very recently that checking in has been adapted to the marketing world. Nokia came up with an awesome little idea combining a vending machine with social media tool Foursquare.

The Nokia Gift Machine from 1000heads on Vimeo.

Will this get you to check in?