Orange has eschewed the campaign URL in its latest campaign “I am” where the payoff asks consumers to search for “I am everyone”. When you do, you get a paid link to click on. The first natural link however, is for a site called “I am bored”, and there is no sign of Orange in the natural rankings at all.
As a control test, I searched for 'minimise-me', MRM Worldwide UK’s latest work for Windows Live Messenger, and the URL www.minimise-me.com is number 1 link, as indeed are all the following links (on Google). I was amazed to find that minimise-me and the personalisable emoticons dominated the top 100 search listings - literally, 90+ of the top 100.
Both these campaigns broke around the same time, with probably very different budgets and indeed objectives. If getting online 'buzz' was an objective for both campaigns (quite possible), I'd have to say Windows Live Messenger is winning by a country mile. You can see pictures at www.participationmarketing.co.uk. So which is the more clever campaign?
When searching for "I am everyone" on Google, there are 5 Orange-related links in natural search on page one - including the first going to www.i-am-everyone.co.uk. It's only when typing in "I am" that they aren't showing up...
Fair point - I just did that too to check, and most of the links go to the TV commercial on youtube rather than consumer information about why Orange might be somehow useful to me. My point was about online buzz, which currently has Messenger winning hands down, if frequency of links in search is a measure.
Their strategy seems really confused to me. I like the "I am" stuff more than the animals branding and campaigns, but it still feels like a company that has several different marketing teams all competing with each other to be heard, and with no central theme.
When I tried searching for "I am everyone" on Google I got a sponsored link and then Orange was 1, 3 & 4 on the natural listings.
Will everyone remember exactly that link? What if you typed I am Orange and ended up at this - possibly more interesting - site
i-am-orange.blogspot.com
I thought I'd check my facts again on what the actual payoff line is on the ads. On the posters it says "Search for I am" not search for I am everyone. Spray tan it is.
Alastair, thanks for pointing me at this thread.
Could someone knock up a spoof ad' for Dale Winton or David Dickenson? It could be quite amusing for I am...err....orange.
I've created one for Orange themselves just to highlight their digital marketing deployment skills. It's on my blog should anyone care to look.
Nice ad on your blog Karl. It's worth reading the article in Revolution from a month back where the Orange marketers talk about their strategy. it shows good understanding of bought media, but we need to think about what we could call 'sought' media as well when launching a brand or activity that tries to take a generic territory as its own. Orange have always been good at that. A top example now getting content 'out there that links itself' is the Skins work done by Channel 4.
Alastair Duncan
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