Presentation skills : tips with a BIG difference.

So you've read the ten tips to present like Steve Jobs but you still think PowerPoint is a pain. Yes, even though you studied Apple’s CEO every technique, you would rather disappear under the carpet ever time you are set to speak in public. Plus your super slide action effects always crash miserably during the live address.

Fear not. This is normal. Not everyone has a mixture of :
a) funky black turtlenecks
b) charisma and industry following like that Mr Jobs dude.
c) oh and ... slick Apple products which revolutionize markets forever

So, knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, here are some more achievable tips ... Warning these videos, may contain humour. Oh, and that’s a good thing if you want people to listen...

Level 1 : Pimp your deck !
Appart from the MTV type editing, some simple and good tips to avoid presentation disaster.

Level 2 : Do NOT do like this guy
Great sketch of how we use PowePoint ineffectively. If you laugh, then you are guilty of having already used these appalling techniques ...  Shame on you ...

Level 3 : Do DO like this guy
An example of great presentation, I could have picked almost any of the TED Talk, famous for there captivating speakers on various topics. Interesting to see that there are as many style of presentations as speakers ...

Twitter Versus Facebook : And the winner is ...

Latest news and a recent visit to the MediaPro 2010 trade show in Olympia London prompted me to write this post.

The 2 biggest recent names in social media, Facebook and Twitter, seem to gather all of the marketing attention. And as marketers scramble to “do” Social media, understanding fundamental differences of these top players is increasingly important. So, in a knock-out, which one would pulverize the other senseless ? Let the battle commence ...

#1 - Biggest Growth : Facebook
If Twitter is the younger of the two, it is showing amazing growth patterns which means it went from nowhere to just under 100 million users in 2 years worldwide. Yet Facebook earlier this year crushed the amazing landmark of 500 million users making it the 3rd biggest “virtual” country of the world. So yes, Twitter’s aggressive growth is unparalleled but Facebook is now entering new reach heights which will be difficult to match.

#2 - Biggest Buzz : Facebook
If you had asked that question 18 months ago, the buzz word was definitely twitter as the public and marketers were getting passionate about the micro-blogging revolution. Remember how Ashton Kutcher ended up with 6,051,757 followers or UK’s very own Steven Fry with his 1,960,126 followers ... and counting ? Or how Twitter gatecrashed Obama’s and the Iranian election ? So we forgot about Facebook for a bit, if not for a few negative articles on privacy issues. Until we remembered how massive Facebook had become. Yeah, that excellent movie propelled Facebook unto the stuff of legend. Read this post to learn more about the great film. And all of a sudden Facebook is back on the cover of all the media as it rolls out more services regularly such as geo-localisation and more recently its “Gmail killer” email service.

#3 - Building Engagement: Facebook
Facebook would be the better platform for this. The emphasis is on a one-to-one communication where the community is built around social criteria. Recent stats have shown the online display growth was massively driven by the boom in Facebook advertising. Indeed, one in four online ads are on Facebook in the US according to ComScore.

#4 - Reaching the Influencers : Twitter

As pointed out by Peter Fenton, investor and board member of Twitter, this network works on a interest centric network. Indeed, the one-to-many communication model is best to identify and target influencers. As most marketing studies consistently point out, peers and friends are amongst top influences in purchase decision. Hence why reaching the influencers should be such an important of most social media plans. And knowing that less than 10% of users make over 90% of the content, reaching the influencers correctly is essential. But that is another topic all together.

And the winner is ... Facebook

If both will benefit hugely from mobile expansion to come, Face book consistently seems to have the upper hand as it is able reinvent itself, offer new services and look at creating a proper advertising proposition. But we shouldn’t underestimate that Twitter offers a more qualitive approach to influencers which is a key target for Marketers.

And to celebrate Facebook victory, have a look at this great retro film about using the social network. An instant classic ! Yes, history may not be kind to social networking.

You will also see that this post includes some great vintage art work created by Moma Propaganda, a Brazilian Ad agency.

Top 10 amazing outdoor advertising ... for now

The following contains not an ounce of digital e-fluff. Amazing...
Yep, proper old school media placements with a bold creative energy. Hope you enjoy it. I have a soft spot for the bold Rona paint ad bolted at the bottom of the iPod creative. So which one is your favourite ?

The source for these great billboards can be found here or there.

Can Online advertising still be exciting ?

Tired of boring ads ? So is everyone. No matter how creative the campaign set outs to be, somehow different constraints mean that it will end up being ultra plain and standard. Even with the amazing opportunities the digital platforms set out, most campaigns really don’t exploit these at all. Dull as a dodo we tell you. But once in a while, the wacky idea actually makes it into the online campaigns.

Here are 3 recent examples which really stand out. We are talking about seriously cool executions :

#1 : Samsung Youtube homepage takeover.
In June 2010, Samsung managed to create a clever Youtube channel sponsorship. The idea was to follow up the incredible outdoor 3D projection in Amsterdam which promoted its 32 LED TV’s. Have a look around on the channel, you will find that beyond the film, you will be prompted to play a cleverly designed game. I won’t spoil it for you so, really have a look for yourself. The campaign was a big success as the channel achieved quickly more than a million views.

#2 : ING Direct, User generated video ads
The good people at Flashtalking have pushed a number of fantastic user-generated ads. The ING example is great because it is instantly catchy, therefore viral. You are intrigued by the amateur videos and simple concept. And very soon, with a few clicks, you can create your own genius video to proudly populate the ad. Online brand engagement at its best. Go on, try it.

#3 : Nissan Quashqai 3D HP takeover
Duke Interactive, the creative team behind this Nissan campaign, wanted to push home takeover to new boundaries. And they did : when you click on the ad, the car literally jumps at you and then drives around the page in a cool 3D motion.

Best guide for seniors taking the digital plunge?

"Oh, go on ... lets "poke" Marge."

The need to get my mum to use a computer and online was the original inspiration for this post. Indeed I realised how massive the need is to train older computer-newbie’s. So, without thinking of the marketing potential for once (stop being so cynical all the time), here is why I think this is crucial. And please take the time to share the great link I found to the relatives you want to help take the digital plunge.

Indeed, nearly two thirds of the 9.2 million people in the UK who have never been on-line are over 65. Yes, we all have relatives who are definitely NOT silver surfers and never used a computer. As more and more services become mainly on-line such as travel and banking, not to mention the boost in inter-generation communication, getting the senior trained up to online is critical. And when mobility becomes an issue, Internet is more than ever a window to the rest of the world. Still not convinced: check out the huge number of “Computing for Senior” guides which have appeared recently in bookshops. So it is easy to see that this reflects a massive need for easy first steps for seniors to go online.

And the solution might be right under our noses: the BBC recently launched its awareness campaign to get seniors to embrace the digital and get connected. The campaign called “First Click” featured extensive coverage on the BBC TV, Radio and Online platforms. Check out the TV spot I inserted below.

More importantly it links to a great number of well-designed tutorial and exercise for both computer and internet beginners. I would really like to congratulate all the great people at Webwise and the BBC for a fantastic and free tool. So, put your favourite relative in front of a computer and check the links below.

Some great links from the BBC’s website :
- BBC’s learning center for digital beginners
- Interactive guide to computer basics
- Interactive guide to Internet basics
- Ultimate print guide for complete beginners

First-click advert clip :

Can Flash Mobs still surprise us ? T-mobile example

T-mobile has just done it again. Last week, they filmed the new T-Mobile "flashmob" style ad at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. The theme is to give an unforgettable welcome to unsuspecting passengers of the Arrival Terminal.  The 3mn ad aired on Channel 4 last Friday and was the brain child of Saatchi&Saatchi.

This is the third flash mob the brand has done with the Liverpool Street station being the best remembered. The amazing amount of buzz it generated was a massive success for the brand. But, I can’t help but wonder how this can generate the same level of excitement each time. The genius lies in the surprise and creativeness of the flashmob attempts. The first was such a success that the public’s awareness has raised the bar significantly for any follow up attempt. Are flashmobs no longer cool ? You decide.


T-Mobile Heathrow Terminal Welcome Back Flash Mob : 

T-Mobile Liverpool Street Station Dance Flash Mob :