It's chaotic out there. Slow down and breathe. It's time to rethink traditional approaches to marketing. Our inaugural issue provides a brief overview of some of the different trends that are influencing how marketers connect with their audience.

1. ISSUe 1
VOL 1

2. +
I
ISSUe1 VOL1
CONTENT
Collide Labs
www.collidelabs.com
K
DEsigN/LayOuT
3 Dogz Creative inc.
Chris Elkerton
Dave Gouveia
Roberta Judge
www.3dogz.com
EDiTOr
Nish Shah
PrOPs
Dorothy Lee
Fayyaz Hemani
All photos © CSA Images
It’s chaotic out
there. Slow
down and
breathe. Our
inaugural issue
is here to help.
XX%
Cert no. XXX-XXX-000

3. It’s 2010 and there’s
IC Off!
no question that as
marketers we live in
K
interesting times.
K
Many of the technological advances that were created in the past decade
are now at a critical mass, offering marketers more meaningful ways of
We hope that you choose the latter. That’s why our inaugural issue is
focused on bringing many of the advances that we are seeing to the
connecting with people. Broadband, mobile and social are only now fore-front.
starting to present us with their full range of possibilities. If you require
It’s important to note that we are not suggesting you need to shift your
proof, look no further than this year’s CES Conference in Las Vegas
entire marketing budget. We do believe that now is an opportune time
where some of the largest marketers showed us what lies ahead. And
to re-think traditional approaches to marketing and experiment with new
one thing’s certain; we’re in for a treat.
technologies and trends that can compliment your current initiatives. As
At the same time, keeping up with the implications of these changes for you will see, it’s very rarely an either/or equation.
marketers can be a daunting task. However, in order to stay ahead of the
We hope that at a minimum it starts a conversation.
competition we absolutely must be aware of these changes, understand
how they impact our businesses and the very industries that we operate
in. A fundamental shift is taking place in nearly every industry and we are
right in the middle of it. Nobody knows exactly what will happen to the
It truly is a great time
publishing, music, ____________ (fill in your industry here) industries but
we know that these changes are not a fad. They are real. Deny it or to be a marketer.
embrace it.

4. ChaNgiN
ThE
CONsumEr LaNDs

5. The dreaded ‘R’ word.
We promised we wouldn’t say this word in
2010, unfortunately it continues to rear its
ugly head. The Recession. Globally, we
anticipate the recovery to be slow and
consumers will continue to be cautious
with their discretionary income.
What impact does a permanent downward shift in the
Ng
demand curve have on your business? As a marketer how
should you respond?
The natural initial reaction is to respond through price promotions and incentives. However, that might not be
the wisest approach. Despite conventional wisdom and what the long lines suggest during Black Friday and
Boxing Day people still get excited by innovative approaches of connecting with them. Look no further than
the buzz around Apple’s iPad for proof. The opportunity exists to look beyond simple margin-eating price
promotions and toward baking the marketing right into the product experience.
sCaPE
The Proliferation of Media:
The other force shaping the new consumer landscape
is a fundamental shift in how we consume and interact
with media.
The numbers below should come to no surprise,
as media continues to fragment and accessibility
becomes ubiquitous.
Chart source: Did You Know 4.0

6. The implication? The supply of media That is until the next “big new and shiny” idea comes along. Don’t
be fooled.
is infinite, the amount of attention we
have is not. As marketers, the changing consumer landscape is also altering the way
we have traditionally viewed consumers.
We will continue to see growth rates in traditional media decline but not
Thinking of our target audience as simply consumers instantly limits your
to the demise that many are predicting. The market is currently trying to
marketing initiatives.
find equilibrium and it likely won’t happen in 2010.
Similar to most technological introductions there is often a “bandwagon” The very word suggests that all
effect as marketers are led to believe that this could be the “silver bullet” consumers only consume.
answer. We should know better. There are no silver bullets. After the
We know that’s no longer true. In fact, it hasn’t been true for a long time,
dust has settled and the hype cooled, the growth rates of the new
we’ve just been slow to respond as marketers.
medium typically level off into more realistic single-digit figures.
“It IS Very rareLy an eIther/
Or eqUatIOn. It IS aLmOSt
aLwayS an ‘and’ eqUatIOn. ”
The key questions you should be asking is “how can this new technology
compliment what we are currently doing?” “how can we conduct a
low-risk test to determine if it can add to our marketing mix?”

7. trend
[trênd]
People don’t merely consume. They create, collaborate
A new way of unlocking
and connect…
Why should we care as
marketers? Shouldn’t we only or servicing an existing
care about consumption?
If only it were that simple.
customer need, want
It matters because while people are creating,
participating, collaborating and connecting – sometimes
and/or desire**
it involves your brands.
And here’s the core reason why we can’t simply define
our market as consumers.
77% trust businesses less.*
People have always talked about brands. The difference
is that today it is extremely easy to spread both negative
and positive stories with friends, families and even
strangers from around the world.
Bottom-line?
People trust people – That’s “we are not in the business of
why you need to pay attention
now more than ever before.
supporting a media industry;
we are in the business of
connecting with consumers. ”
TREVOR EDWARDS
*Source: Edelmen Trust Barometer
**Adapted from: Trend Watching
VP, Global Brand and Category Management, NIKE

8. If t
am her
e
eVe OUnt IS O
hO r-In Of a nLy a
w S Cr t L
++ hO eaS tent ImIte
++ U In IO d
+ + Ld w g S n a
+ e r Upp nd a
+ eS Ly O n
+
+ pO
nd f nO
+
+
++
? ISe
+
+
++ + +++
+
++
the
++ ++
fIght
++
++
+
+
+
+
+
+
fOr
++
+ +++++ + +++
+
+
+
attentIOn
+
+ ++++ ++++
+ + ++ +++ ++
++ ++
++ ++
++++
++ + +++++ +++

9. tIO+n.+
qUeS+ + + +
gOOd+ + + + + +
++
+
+++
++
+ ++
++
+
+ Let’s begin with where we’ve spent a disproportionate amount of our The result is an endless cycle of chasing attention.
+ time and resources – the experience.
An alternative to buying “eyeballs” each time you run a campaign is to own
Think about it. As marketers we spend a significant amount of resources the “eyeballs” through a digital platform that provides on-going utility.
convincing people to buy our products and services through sales
For examples, look to iCoke.ca for an on-going rewards platform or to
promotions, incentives and ad campaigns.
Nike’s Head to Head platform that allows high school football players to
get instant visual stat comparisons with other players in their team, division
But isn’t That The Point? and even pro-football players when they were their age. The platforms
The problem with focusing solely on the pre-purchase experience is that provide a way for marketers to continuously interact with people.
we’ve limited ourselves to a very small portion of a person’s life. If we are
fighting for attention, does it not make more sense to play in a space
where we have a greater amount of time to interact with people – the
actual interactions a person has with a product or service?
Best-in-class marketers are realizing that there is significant value in
looking for ways of enhancing the product experience and the
interactions someone has with the actual product.
the new
This thinking is a fundamental shift from the traditional ways in which we
have viewed the role of marketing. It still is ultimately, as Theodore Levitt VaLUe eqUatIOn IS
abOUt prOVIdIng
+
suggests in his ground-breaking book nearly 30 years ago called
+
added UtILIty In
Marketing Imagination about, “getting and keeping a customer”.
+
The difference is in the ways in which we do that. And marketers are
++
responding in a number of distinct ways...
exChange fOr
attentIOn.
+ + +
Digital Platforms
Marketing has generally been focused on creating and executing
campaigns. Attention is high when the campaign is in-market, as Today, people don’t just want you
++
measured by unaided awareness, but it typically falls once the campaign to tell them how great you are
and media buy is over.
they want you to prove it.
+
+
+

10. CrEaTiNg BETTE Alex Bogusky and John Windsor, in
their book Baked-In advocate
aligning marketing with product
innovation to help create better
product experiences. The marketing
for the product moves from simply
an after-thought to becoming
a critical part of the experience.
In 2010 and beyond look for
innovation to come in the form of
products that marry marketing
insight with product development.
Easier said than done!
It will require a coordinated approach
with marketers acting as “idea
champions” balancing the conflicting
demands between sales, legal and
R&D. The organizations that win, will
figure out how to balance these
demands without compromising the
desired vision.
We’re seeing innovative examples in highly regulated industries, which makes it increasingly difficult to
argue that the barriers cannot be overcome.
Bayer’s Didget is a good example of creating a better product experience. Didget is a blood glucose
monitoring system for children that rewards consistent testing by connecting the device to a Nintendo
DS system. Children join the Didget community and play games earning points for blood glucose test
results along with earning bonus points for consistent testing.
Making a child’s life just a little bit better. Brilliant.
That’s the power of marketing innovation and creating better experiences.

11. Er ExPEriENCEs
aCtIOnS
SpeaK
LOUder
than
wOrdS.
The new “maas” – marketing as a service
Actions speak louder than words. It’s an age old truth that a number of marketers are taking to heart in an effort to not only gain attention
but provide people with tangible utility.
Take for example Humana’s, a health insurance company, mission of improving the health and lives of people around the world. Instead of
simply running ads that talk about their community involvement, Humana takes it a step further by creating a bicycle sharing program called
“Freewheelin’”. The program encourages the use of bicycles for short commutes and the site calculates the number of rides, miles ridden,
calories burned and carbon footprint reduced through the program.

12. weLCOme
tO the
dIgItaL
age

13. Chart Sources (left to right):
1. Nielsen Global Online Survey
2. comScore Media Matrix
3. Infonetics Research
This decade we expect to see technological innovation that uses the “It IS OnLy
Internet in ways that we’ve never seen or thought about before. As
technology becomes completely immersed in our daily lives, the less we when
start thinking about it and the more we expect seamless experiences.
thIngS
beCOme
Just look at the way we used to access the Internet. There was a time
when we couldn’t answer the phone line because we were “surfing the
InVISIbLe dO
World Wide Web”. Now, we don’t even think about it. We expect a
completely seamless experience.
These expectations will continue they
to increase.
beCOme
Why shouldn’t we be able to walk into a store and find exactly what we
are looking for, and in which aisle, with a few clicks on our phone? Why
shouldn’t we be able to get instant price comparisons, make one-click
IntereStIng. ”
purchases and get immediate discount coupons in-store? CLa ShIrKy
y
The implication for marketers is that we need to broaden our view of
digital away from it simply being a media channel.
Digital is not a silo.
Digital will influence and have an impact on virtually everything we do as
marketers because that’s what the market expects and demands.
Chart Sources (left to right):
4. CNET
5. teamDigital, Promotions 2.0
6. Facebook User Data

14. Connecting the Offline
marketers are already experimenting with interesting new technologies that bridge the online
augmented reality United States Postal Service – Virtual Box Simulator
• Real World = Goods that someone wants to ship
If you haven’t heard of augmented reality (AR), we promise that will
• Virtual World = Different 3-D USPS sized boxes
change this year. AR bridges the online and offline worlds by creating a
• AR Application = Hold up what you are planning on
mixed reality. The technology merges computer-generated images with
shipping and a virtual 3-D box appears over the object
the real-world environment to create a dynamic experience for users.
to help you determine what size box you need.
The most notable executions are from marketers who do not use it
simply as a new creative tactic but rather as a way to provide utility: Other examples to check-out:
• Virtual Dressing Room by Zugara
• Samsung’s LED Selector
information +
Context using
augmented reality to
provide information
literally at our
fingertips.

15. ONLiNE Worlds
and offline worlds. here are three innovative approaches that you should be aware of:
Qr Codes interactive Kiosks
QR code technology has been widely used by retailers and advertisers Retailers have been using interactive kiosks primarily in an effort to
in parts of Europe and Asia. The technology is starting to be used in speed-up lines from self-check-outs at grocery stores to dispensing
North America and we expect to see continued growth as smart phones tickets at movie theatres.
become more ubiquitous. Examples include downloading movie trailers,
The next generation of interactive kiosks will go well beyond this core
providing instant discounts, or offering additional nutritional information
function, offering customers everything from “product specifications to
on packaging.
customer reviews – comparable to what they [customers] can find on
Real Results: the Internet”.
“Google has already seen results from a recent test of
These kiosks will also be tied with loyalty programs in order to offer
QR codes. Each ad contained a QR code and a response
personalized service, discounts and offers based on individual preferences.
tag, and was tested against the same ads without the
tags. The code-enhanced ads ended up driving 6.5 For example, an interactive kiosk for BP (Nordstrom’s junior department)
times more revenue than the ads without”. designed by Zeus Jones, enabled shoppers to try on clothes, take
AdAge “Google, QVC Attempt to Revive QR Codes” professional photos and e-mail their images to friends all within the dressing
room environment.
Qr Codes +
Traditional media
help marketers
create a channel
for direct
response
Technology +
in-store creates
a better experience
and aids in the BP Photobooth image courtesy of Zeus Jones.
purchase decision
for shoppers

16. we are
by natUre
SOCIaL
anImaLS
arIStOtLe
It should
come as no
surprise that
the Internet
is moving
rapidly
towards a
more social
experience.

17. We are inherently social and always have been. The difference is that
social shopping
now, more than any other time in our history, it is unbelievably easy to
If you think about the retail, bricks
socialize with friends, family and strangers regardless of proximity.
and mortar shopping experience,
it has always been a very social
Don’t Overcomplicate it. experience. You go to the mall
with your significant others, family
Regardless of what the self-proclaimed social media experts tell you. and friends asking for opinions in
“real-time” and making decisions
First let’s get a few things out the way: based on the influence of others.
• Social media is not the silver bullet.
• Social media is not going to single-handedly save your business. In contrast the online shopping
• Social media is a powerful way for brands to listen experience has been designed,
to their customers. for the most part, as an isolated
experience. You shop online, compare
Wait. You mean people are talking about my brand right now? prices, read reviews and make
your purchase rarely interacting
Here’s what you should remember when piloting through the
with anyone in the process.
social world:
We see that experience rapidly
“peOpLe dOn’t
changing through the emergence
of social shopping – integrating
read adS.
real world elements which make
shopping an enjoyable social
they read what
experience in the online world.
IntereStS them real Examples
Dell Swarm – “Buy in a Group
and SOmetImeS and Save”. Users are encouraged
to join a swarm for exclusive
It’S an ad”. discounts on different Dell
products. Discounts are based on
having a pre-determined number
hOward gOSSage of people join the swarm.
Taste Casting – A new service
Mr. Gossage, born in 1918, was clearly a man before his time. His thoughts that connects restaurants with
pre-date the Internet and many of the technological advances we now people through “taste tests”. In
take for granted; nonetheless, his wisdom is more relevant than ever. exchange for an evening of free
food at the actual restaurant’s
Adding a “tell-a-friend” function and thinking you’ve added “social” to location these social networkers
your program is a flawed approach for countless reasons. Unfortunately, then blog, tweet and post videos
we continue to see this as common practice in many organizations. of their experience.
Social should be baked right into the design of the program. Here are a
few examples:

18. Design thinking is already an early candidate for buzzword of the year.
It seems that everyone loves talking about it conceptually but what
exactly does it mean? We define design thinking as a fluid process
that merges rational, emphatic and visual thinking to reach optimal
solutions. Design thinking is certainly not new; in fact, designers have
been using the process to solve problems for centuries.
deSIgn thInKIn
great deSIgn IS aS mUCh
abOUt reaChIng the fInaL
graphIC and COLOUr
COmbInatIOnS
aS It IS abOUt the
thInKIng behInd
the SOLUtIOn.
When thinking of any type of creative, worthy studios do
more than just sketch – they draw from experience. Colour
combinations they know don’t work. Typography they
know won’t read. Various things that won’t help propel
this original idea ahead of a competitor’s. They know the
pitfalls to avoid and the decisions to make that will get you
closer to your objectives – and they take all that thinking
into consideration throughout the entire process.
Our design process in action...

19. nOw
Ing what? We hope that
you’re inspired.
Inspired enough to start
a conversation within your
organization about how
these ideas can help you
connect with your customers.
here are some immediate questions
to help start the conversation:
What are all the situations where people may want to
interact with your brand? (Be as specific as possible)
What are their needs in each of these situations?
How do these needs change when they are with other
people. (Hint: No focus group will ever tell you
this answer; you have to start paying attention to how
people behave in their natural environments)
How can your brand help in each of these situations?

20. we wOULd LOVe tO heLp yOU
Start appLyIng theSe trendS.
It’s the reason why we are offering a free design thinking workshop to the first five (5) people
who contact us. Learn how to apply design thinking to help you and your team solve problems,
develop innovative ideas and give you a competitive advantage.
1.5 hr workshop · $1500 value · No strings attached
Learn mOre here:
www.COLLIdeLabS.COm/trendS
taLK tO US:
416-845-6474 · OptImIze@COLLIdeLabS.COm
Interactive learning.
Access videos
of every example
within these pages.
1. If you don’t already have one, download
any QR code scanner onto your smart
phone. We recommend the free one
offered at: http://i-nigma.com
2. Open the QR code scanner application
on your phone.
3. Scan the QR code and you will
automatically be taken to a page
with the video examples.