WEEKLY DIGITAL/COMMS HIGHLIGHTS

STARBUCKS OF THE FUTURE 
Starbucks recently turned 40 & in line with a mid-life crisis have recently unveiled their new look ‘Starbucks of the future’ in Seattle. The new iteration is no longer a layout/design clone, which is instantly recognisable wherever you go instead it looks nothing like a Starbucks & more like an independent café/bar. They will be serving regional wine & beer as well as coffee and the interior will be location dependent with furnishings & fittings sourced from the local area. It’s an interesting direction & a big gamble but clearly in line with cultural trends & desires, only time will tell if it’s a success…

MALARITY 
Faris has this week called attention once again to the under-use of humour in communications when difficult or culturally sensitive subjects need to be talked about. He says “The aforementioned effects of expectancy violation are even more potent when applied to a category that tends to avoid humor, and sometimes it's important to use entertainment value to enter a topic into the cultural conversation.”
The example shown is for ‘Malarity’, a new campaign tying together humour, celebrities & fighting Malaria in Africa. Check it out.

JAY-Z DECODED 
The launch of ‘Decoded‘, a memoir by Jay-Z, will be preceded by a campaign created by Droga NYC, it speaks to some of the key trends of the moment such as – game mechanics, transmedia storytelling & utilizing search/location to tell a story. Well worth a look.

STARBUCKS DIGITAL NETWORK 
This week Starbucks launched their Digital Network. Previously you’ve able to check out & buy CD’s & books in store while you wait for your coffee & now you can also check out specifically curated content available via free Starbucks Wifi on your mobile device, laptop or iPad. Starbucks figures the network will give you one more reason to choose them over a competing coffee shop. After all, why would you go to the guy next door when you can come to Starbucks and get a free download from iTunes? As for the content providers—who are dishing up their wares for free to Starbucks—it’s a great way to get in front of an audience who, if you can judge from sales of Starbucks-selected CDs, books, and DVDs, are eager to discover the next great thing on the culture front.
                
THE VALUE OF EXISTING CUSTOMERS VERSUS NEW ACQUISITION (INFOGRAPHIC) 
We’re all aware of CRM & cultivating advocates but many times, new customer acquisition creeps up the list of priorities & our existing purchasers are all but forgotten. Flowtown has put together a great infographic which should serve to remind us that we can’t forget our current customers because they remain our chief asset, it’s 6-7 times more expensive to acquire new customers versus increasing the purchase rate of existing etc etc…

CRACKING THE FACEBOOK NEWSFEED CODE….& HOW TO MANIPULATE IT 
How does the social media giant decide who and what to put in your feed? Tom Weber conducts a one-month experiment to break the algorithm, discovering 10 of Facebook's biggest secrets & how to cheat the system to ensure your updates appear in other peoples newsfeeds more often…For marketers it is of critical importance to understand how content propagates through the platform
 
10 TOP TIPS FOR LEVERAGING YOUTUBE AS AN ADVERTISING MEDIUM 
While so many individuals have found their 15 minutes of fame thanks to YouTube, fewer are the brands that have garnered acclaim with savvy use of the channel. If you haven’t already utilised this fantastic opportunity, check out AdAge’s top 10 tips on how to get started, optimise & get the best out of it.

MINI GETAWAY STOCKHOLM 
MINI Getaway Stockholm is a new iPhone app that enables you to play a reality game in the Swedish capital and gives you a chance to one a new MINI Countryman. It’s engaging due to its simplicity & the massive prize opportunity. I’ve a feeling this one will be quite successful…