Cisco Systems
Networking equipment firm takes the social route
Situation
Cisco Systems Inc. decided to demonstrate its lighter side when it launched its new ASR 1000 Edge router, the first in what will be a series of Edge routers.
“Because this campaign was going to set the stage for new rollouts in our series of Edge products, the senior execs wanted to create a bit of a following,” says Doug Webster, director of strategic communications for Cisco’s worldwide service provider marketing group. “Our audience is not used to seeing us in a humorous way — we’re a very serious company.”
Approach
Cisco partnered with Ogilvy to launch a microsite three weeks before the March 4 introduction of the product. On it were satiric videos where “über-users” — such as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny — solve their problems with the new router.
“[The site] teased the audience a bit and had a social share function” allowing it to spread virally, Webster says. The videos were also posted on such sites as YouTube, Yahoo Video, Google Video and Veoh.
Cisco used a social media release to spread the word about the Web site and other aspects of the campaign. These included a Facebook application and group, as well as a widget featuring videos, collateral and images that could be easily embedded in social media pages.
A social media release is “more to the point than a traditional press release,” Webster says. “It’s intended to quickly inform bloggers.”
Results
Cisco reported that it had received 1,451 video views on YouTube, Yahoo Video, Google Video and Veoh. The video widget alone was viewed 35,000 times within a month of its release. –Nathan Golia
Covad Communications
Customer research informs site design
Approach Facing lower budgets and higher keyword prices, voice and data provider Covad Communications teamed with Geary Interactive to fine-tune its search strategy. The program sought to offer personalized search results to consumers, based on search topics and geotargeting. Regionally targeted creative was used on the landing pages.
Results Covad’s cost per acquisition dropped by more than 30% and the number of unqualified leads dropped 61%. -Mary Elizabeth Hurn
Quality Logo Products
Results pop for 3-D mailer
Approach Quality Logo Products wanted to boost visits to its Web site as well as customer orders. Promotional products supplier and printer Perrygraf took a stock pop-up calendar and customized each panel with Quality Logo’s mascot and a different monthly offer good for orders submitted through its Web site. The calendar was mailed to 3,000 existing customers in December.
Results Savings have been claimed by 82% of recipients. –Chantal Todé
Privateview
Alf Laukoter, creative director, Rapp Collins
You have to tip your hat to a company that’s able to give a human face to technology. Or — as is the case with this Cisco Systems campaign — as close to human as mythical characters get. That’s the buzz Cisco is striving for in its new online campaign that hits all the Web 2.0 suspects from Facebook to YouTube. While engaging in many respects, my biggest quibble with this satirical campaign is that the humor does not always live up to the opportunity.
Covad’s search marketing campaign is an exercise in smart, disciplined strategy that didn’t take advantage of building the overall Covad brand for the long haul. Using best practices in identifying and reaching localized markets with targeted messages should be applauded. But it stays in the world of offers. The campaign lacks an idea that would resonate with consumers beyond the merely rational.
Overly simple ideas can be deceiving, because we tend to dismiss them. But again, it’s the simple ideas that stand out.
The low-cost stock pop-up calendar from Quality Logo Products turned into a monthly order-generating tool. But, with a fun – bordering on silly – attitude that captures the personality of the client, this piece has earned a certain pet rock quality. You know it’s just a calendar, but you can’t seem to part with it.
