Persona

Posted at: 9:03 AM by Hammad

Notebooks in Disguise

When Toshiba told us they would be tying up with one of the big summer blockbusters, we we're hoping it would be Transformers!

So, when we got the call to attend a briefing at Toshiba HQ, the childhood dreams of the lads at Persona came well and truly to life.

We've produced an interactive campaign web site in Adobe Flash that highlights their featured notebooks and promotes the tie up between the two iconic brands.

Optimising a Prime time experience

Using the movie footage as inspiration, we've used choice cuts of film, stills and sound to produce an intro sequence that sets the mood for the site concept.

The site then features an interactive, 360 degree viewpoint of a Satellite notebook that users can 'Transform'. Browsing through the site, visitors can also take part in a competition to win a Helicopter flying lesson - a direct reference to the new movie Transformer 'Blackout'.

On a more technical level, the site uses ASP.NET to provide 'send to a friend' functionality and also process the competition entries.

Under the bonnet

The intro sequence was edited together and sound synced in Adobe Premiere, with Adobe After Effects used to add the atmospheric lighting. Finally, this was exported as Flash Video and added to the main site without needing any additional browser or plug-in software for visitors to view it.<.p>

For the competition, our ASP.NET code validates entries and posts them as XML to a remote web service on Toshiba's contact database; in a format that complies with their specifications. The web service then returns XML instructions that we use to re-direct visitors to the right page; either a message highlighting any problems or a confirmation that their entry has been successful.

To keep a smooth user experience, we've also used AJAX for the navigation, so the page isn't reloaded when moving between sections.

More than meets the eye

Toshiba and Transformers are both iconic brands in their own right; so how do you start to blend the two together in a partnership?

After being briefed by Toshiba, we worked with the Paramount Pictures footage, image library and usage guidelines to ensure both identities were given the right balance.

In our creative brainstorm, we came up with the concept that just like the Transformers robots, we needed to show that there can be more than meets the eye.

Other than highlight the more obvious brand synergy of Technology between the brands, we wanted to do something different.

For the site, everyday features such as USB connections and Keypads have been shot in an abstract style; suggesting they could be parts of a Transformer. By focusing on areas often taken for granted, we've created a mood that emphasises that the difference with a Toshiba notebook is that style and technology are equally important.

Using the All Spark

Using our in-house photography studio, we had full control of the lighting to create the right artistic style. We then put the shots through digital post production to add the Blue lighting - a common feature in footage from the movie.

Autobots, Roll out

Producing a site is only the first part of a campaign - the challenge is to get people to it. Toshiba have used a number of promotional channels to market the site, including:

• Press Releases to the media
• Banners on the main Toshiba Computers web site
• Send to a friend email
• Viral seeding and link building

With the campaign being time-critical (it's only being ran for the Summer), it is important that the PR activity focused on outlets of quick turnaround; specifically weekly publications and online media. Press releases have been sent to the design, IT and brand media to bring awareness of the campaign to the more effective audiences.

Toshiba have also agreed page sponsorships with Tiscali and have promotional material and signage in Dixons and Toshiba retail stores around the country.

The site features a send to a friend feature, that is branded as either Autobots or Decepticons depending on the users choice. The email sent is branded in the same style as the site, so recipients are enticed to visit the campaign to find out more.

Finally, the site has marketing analytics installed to track visitor levels, user journeys and conversion goals for the competition.

Avoiding Decepticons

Targeted traffic is being sourced and driven to the site using viral marketing. This was chosen over Pay Per Click advertising, so that the word-by-mouse effect would spread fast and search marketing budgets could be reduced - giving more creative freedom to the production side of the project.

Labels: campaign, creative, digital, experience, media, movies, toshiba, transformers

Posted at: 3:48 PM by Hammad

Our old pals at Toshiba have been keeping us very busy recently, with a whole host of projects being worked on throughout the Persona team, such as:

A new style of Flash and graphic banner adverts. The theme of summer is present in both campaigns and will be changed to Autumn as the new school year starts in September.

Community Pages within the Toshiba web site

These pages contain product, solution and support information for different community groups Toshiba specilises in. We've created new layout grids that can be used in their existing CMS template system and made good use of the lifestyle photography we have previously shot for them to represent the actual communities.

Premium Service web site for the education sector

Toshiba also asked us to carry the new, modern brand elements through to a secure web site for the education market. Under the 'Premium Service' banner, Toshiba will be rolling our more sites that focus on their channel audiences and our designs ensure the visitors have an easy to use navigation and a lasting user experience.

Next month, we'll be launching our most exciting project with Toshiba to date - a sponsorship site for Toshiba and Transformers the movie. You won't want to miss the next edition of our newsletter when we 'roll out' with the Autobots.

Labels: banners, branding, campaign, creative, digital, flash, photography, toshiba

Posted at: 4:04 PM by Hammad

The British Red Cross has worked with Persona to produce their first online marketing campaign:

View the campaign site at www.crosstheredline.org.uk

Taking part in a sponsored run for a charity really is a win-win situation. Not only do you get fit and have some fun but you help to support some of the most noble causes we all rely on when times are tough. The British Red Cross are one such cause and have produced this site to encourage runners to join them for the Nottingham Robin Hood Marathon.

In a world of corporate sponsorship deals, we've created a campaign that is all about having fun and raising positive awareness. The campaign site has been created in Flash, with a static HTML version also available for those without the correct player or in need of accessible content. By using Flash, we've been able to create a more engaging user experience, whilst the HTML version also allows for Google traffic to get through and be indexed.

Visitors to the site can view an interactive map of the marathon routes, get training advice and pass on a digital baton to a friend to spread the message.

Labels: branding, campaign, charity, creative, digital, flash, illustration, nottingham, web site

Posted at: 6:18 PM by Hammad

Fast growing telecoms supplier Diva continue to work with Persona, this time launching an e-marketing campaign targeted at the Travel industry.

We've designed an eye-catching series of banners and email postcard email campaign, complete with an interactive landing page that highlights the areas travel and tour operators can save or make money through Diva.

See the campaign landing page

To compliment that campaign, we've also made some cosmetic enhancements to the original site to give a more vibrant and rich experience. The entire site has also undergone a search engine optimisation process to boost the brands awareness. This will be extended to Pay Per Click (PPC) ads on GYM (Google, Yahoo and MSN) with matching landing pages and a new blog. The Diva Telecom site also fully complies with W3C development and Accessibility standards, proving that you can have a responsible, cost effective and effective approach to your online marketing.

Watch this space for more news on sustainable e-marketing initiatives from Persona Creative.

Labels: banners, campaign, creative, digital, illustration, ppc, telecoms, travel, viral

Posted at: 10:34 AM by Vivienne

The table below shows how the Persona Creative newsletter performed over the 12 editions in 2006

One of the most effective ways to analyse the success of an email campaign is by looking at the percentage of people who opened it.

Anything over 25% is generally considered to be good, with 30% being the benchmark we should all try to achieve. Over the course of 12 months, the Persona Creative email averaged over 50% - 20% higher than the benchmarks! Not only this, but the open rate never dropped below 40%, so the average is based on consistent performance rather than a few good months bumping up the statistics.

Due to the positive feedback we receive on each email, we believe the high open rate is due to the quality of the content and also the high build quality of the HTML; reducing the number of spam filters it triggers.

The chart below shows our open rate performance against that of industry averages.

With printed Direct Mail, it is commonly accepted that a 1% response from a campaign is what we should aim for. For example, if we send out 10,000 flyers in the post, we should hope to get 100 people to respond in some way.

With email, the percentages for response a bit higher, but are dropping all the time as email overload becomes more of a problem for our inboxes. Over the course of 2006, the industry average is 15%, but the Persona Creative average click rate is over 25%! Again, this is an excellent sign that the content we produce for the email not only engages our readers, but encourages them to read more.

Email campaigns produced and managed by Persona Creative for our clients produce similar statistics, so if you want to make the most of this marketing channel, it's worth talking to us.

You can also have a look at the industry tables below to see what benchmarks you can aim for in your own campaign. Of course, we can help you get there if needed.

Labels: analysis, campaign, digital, email, media, persona