Marketing on it's best - Zenrobotics

Zenrobotics is a Finnish company, who have invented really important product. They've made a robot that can identify and collect different materials from trash and this way improve recycling a lot. Their product is cool and meaningfull, but what I love the most, is their marketing videos.

This is a perfect example of an extremely enjoyable marketing video, where still the product plays a key part. There's many entertaining product videos and adverts out there, but too often the actual product doesn't really play a part on it. In this one, the robot plays a key part.

Check the video out:


Written by +Henri Hämäläinen

Is Google+ invite only just a marketing trick?

It's funny that company with maybe most servers in the world says they don't have the capacity to support everyone to get into Google+. It's easy to question that one and think that maybe the only purpose of invite only is to get more visibility and interest to Google+.

Is it a coincidence that GMail and Google Wave where invite only also for a long time. They got a lot of publicity when people where trying to chase the invites from different sources. It's always so that when you can't get something you'll chase for, it becomes more interesting. Could this be the strategy with Google+ also?

Also when you eventually get Google+ account, you can basically invite anyone to use it, without any limitations. So if they would be scared of capacity problems, maybe they would have limited invite possibilities in some way.

Still there's a second change. It maybe that Google guys have noticed that invite only is the best way to limit the speed of adaption of the service and that way control their capacity better. Pier to pier inviting is more predictable than plain open service adaption.

Whatever the reason is, still Google+ invite only is a perfect marketing way. It will raise awareness of service when people who are interested are chasing for invite or when they have received an invite.

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen

My love and hate for telesellers

I don't honestly like when they try to sell me something via phone. It's really annoying. Still I have to tell you about two calls I've got. They just come up with such a inviting offers, that I just admire the creativity.

Recently I got a call from salesgirl. She quickly introduced herself and said that they have decided to give me travel magazine for free for whole year! Wow that's an offer that sounded bit too good to be true for me. She right away asked how I felt about the magazine and offer. I didn't say much until she continues that I only would need to pay production and delivery costs of the magazine, 3,95€ per month. So I guess I would have got the "innovation and work" for the content free, I would have only need to pay for everything else. What an anticlimax, I hang up.

Second similar call I got some time ago. My cable TV operator called me and said that they had chosen me for private trial for 50 persons. I was selected to get to check out some renewed channel set and give feedback about that one. I would get it for two months for free, if I only would sign the contract for next 6 months for full price. That was just ridiculous. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to calculate the 25 percent discount offer from there, and nothing was really was free. The focus group talks most probably was just plain bullshit.

Afterwards those calls have been hilarious. How on earth they came up with those and most importantly does someone really buy after that massive bullshitting. It might be the worst selling strategy ever, over promise in the first two sentences and get caught after a minute.

I'll be waiting what ridiculous offer they come up next time.

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen

Brilliant marketing and nice real life game in Stockholm with Mini

What a brilliant marketing from Mini. And also it seems like a quite interesting game. Maybe there could be some middle point prices or ways to disappear for some minutes to keep the interest for whole week. Or then I could have been wrong and people really played the whole week, not only first and last days.

It's always fun to see innovation like this in games and marketing. Check it out:

MINI Getaway Stockholm 2010.

How's that for marketing - You've been selected to 50 person focus group

Couple days ago I got a call from my cable TV operator Elisa. I've has some fights with them in last couple months. Now they had selected me for a special 50 person focus group to try out their new services.

That sound nice, finally something good from them for a change, I thougth. Women in the phone started to explain that you'll get about 30 channels free for 2 months.. and then you only have to pay for 6 months !!

I almost lost words. 50 person focus group my ass.. It was just really really pathetic marketing. They gave first good impression, but then came out with horrible offer. I can't even think of any ways to do it worse.

I think this the worst marketing I've ever faced. Total waste of my and the callers time.