Project Ingeborg in action

For everything, from business interactions to buying a pair of shoes to documenting our latest meal, we turn to our digital platforms. How can arts organisations employ the increasingly consistent use of mobile devices as a tool for experiential immersion at their events?

Using interaction to engage an arts audience is obviously not ground breaking and it is still immensely popular. dreamthinkspeak’s promenade performance In the Beginning was the End occupied Somerset House for two months at the beginning of the year and Punchdrunk’s critically acclaimed Sleep No More, based on Macbeth, has been running in New York since March 2011 and has been praised for its no holds barred approach to throwing the audience into the action. But is there a way to achieve unity between an audience’s physical presence at an event and their insurmountable desire to check their phone every 60 minutes?

The National Gallery of Denmark has taken a step toward combining their audience’s digital interaction with their exhibitions with its new database of 159 downloadable artworks. The gallery encourages online visitors to share and remix the images for whatever purpose they wish, encouraging audience participation with works across multiple online channels. Meanwhile, 1000 kilometres due south in Austria, Project Ingeborg’s yellow sticker initiative in Klagenhurf allows residents and visitors to access a wealth of relevant literature depending on their whereabouts within the city. As they peruse the streets and alleys they can scan QR codes on yellow stickers stuck to certain buildings and places of interest which lead them to a free download of a pertinent text – at the Cathedral you can download a famous play concerning a man’s salvation and at the police station a short story called ‘The Murderer’. These two examples from mainland Europe show how accepting the ubiquitous nature of hand held media can be harnessed to improve and personalise the experience of an audience.

The Science Stories app in action

Closer to home, the Science Museum’s augmented reality Science Stories app has garnered positive reviews since its release earlier this year. The app renders a miniature James May on your phone or tablet when you point the camera at a marker on certain exhibits’ plinths. The tiny May then gives you a run down of why the exhibition is important and even quizzes you at the end to ensure you’ve been listening. Using an app in the Science Museum is, of course, quite fitting but it shows how the means with which we communicate with our audiences once they are through the door is just as important as how we communicate with them beforehand.

We may be a long way off from letting people use their phones in the theatre but embracing the fact that the announcement ‘please turn off all mobile phones’ is largely ignored may influence and inform the way we let our audiences interact with the arts and culture around them.

Are you ready to communicate with your audience in new ways? To find out what we can do to help contact Marliese on 020 7613 8407 or e-mail her at marliese@impactideas.co.uk

In this promotional video, Ross engages his interviewees with typical verve and shares his own opinions on the show.

The video, edited to a three and five minute version, is being seeded on YouTube and other relevant platforms and is experiencing organic uplift across the social networks. A much shorter, YouTube ad version has also been created and is being strategically distributed, ensuring that it appears at the beginning of relevant videos and reaches the target demographic.

Over the last few months we have been working with an exciting array of new clients on Video Production and YouTube Advertising. While some campaigns have allowed us to respond creatively to the briefs, as with our video for Courtauld Lates, we also continue to produce high-end Vox Pops for the arts and culture industry across London.

At Impact, we integrate our Video Production service with our YouTube Advertising service to build expedient and far-seeing video campaigns. Our video team relish working with our clients from conception, through production and into online seeding.

To find out more about our video services, contact Marliese on 020 7613 8407 or e-mail her at marliese@impactideas.co.uk

Vine lets you create and post short looping videos of six seconds or less and upload them directly onto your Twitter feed. Currently only available in Apple App Store, the video sharing service will be coming to Android in the near future, shortly followed by worldwide domination.

The new darling of social media is probably the most popular visual platform since Instagram and its potential seems to be far greater than expected. Although most people commonly use Vine to create six-second videos of everyday life, Vine might revolutionise the notion of participatory journalism by allowing people to capture and share important current events.

Much like how text based Tweets provided insight into the shrouded torment of Syrians during the on-going conflict, Vine may open up a whole new vein to 24 hour scrolling news.

As well as its journalistic potential, the app offers creatives a new and challenging way to express their ideas. Mashable put together a very interesting Top Ten of the most innovative Vine users which is not only a great display of the potential of the app but also a source of inspiration for Vine newbies.

As a cost-effective alternative to producing and seeding attractive video content, Vine represents a new social tool that gives advertisers the chance to connect with their audiences in a fun, relevant and immediate way.

Considering 92% of mobile video viewers share their videos with friends and social networks, there is a huge potential for arts organisations to interact with their audiences and generate interest in their cultural programme by creating visually compelling six-second stories.

Unsurprisingly, brands have been quick at experimenting with the tool and we particularly enjoyed the Doritos video which ties nicely into a competition.

Vine videos are being shared on a vast scale as users have the option to broadcast them not only on Twitter, but also on Facebook and on any website of their choice using the ‘embed’ option.

The app makers have added features such as the use of hashtags and the ability to tag friends and when Vine will hit the Android-sphere we will probably witness the beginning of a beautiful global friendship between those 140 characters and those 600 milliseconds.

Are you ready to tell your story in six seconds? To find out more about online video and how to engage your audience, contact Marliese on 020 7613 8407 or e-mail her at marliese@impactideas.co.uk 

UPDATE: Twitter has released Vine for Android on 03/06/2013.

The website, which launched in May, offers free guides, research, case studies and articles to assist workers in the arts marketing sector. Thus creating an online fraternity where people can share their triumphs (and failures) and improve practice within the industry.

As outlined by Russell Willis Taylor in her key note speech at the official launch, the site is designed to play a strong and supportive role in the competitive, fluid and ever developing world of arts marketing. With new services and means of audience communication coming into play on a regular basis, the AMA hopes that Culture Hive will serve as a crutch and touchstone for arts marketers – a point of reference before taking a new direction.

“[Culture Hive will be] particularly valuable to you for the essential skill of adaptability. Wherever you are in your career, whatever you organisation is engaged in doing, adaptability is where we all need to be right now. The environment is changing so rapidly that it is now an essential attribute for any organisation that wants to be sustainable.” – Russell Willis Taylor

In line with the culture of adaptability promoted at the event, the community aspect of Culture Hive was stressed by Willis Taylor and the AMA team. The audience were actively encouraged not only to indulge in the content already available but to upload their own case studies for others to use. The phrase “communal learning” was a bit of a soundbite at the event and ‘all for one and one for all’ was very much the underlying epigram of the day.

Culture Hive is already proving to be a success with new content, sourced from all corners of the industry, being added consistently and with a number of the attendees of the launch already singing its praises. At Impact, we think that Culture Hive will prove to be a valuable and regular point-of-call for arts marketers and, if it possesses the adaptability the AMA and Willis Taylor said was required by us all, it will be a go-to tool for people in the arts marketing sector.

To find out how our services can help you adapt call Marliese on 020 7613 8407 or e-mail her at marliese@impactideas.co.uk

Will the tourist industry continue to grow in 2013?

Despite these positive precursors Danny Boyle, whose opening ceremony for the 2012 games was universally revered, said that the Olympic spirit has perished in light of continuing economic struggles.  “I think it would be naive to say it could last. It’s nice to have a fillip like that to feel good together, then you get back to your private battles.” Boyle isn’t the only commentator to detract from the much spun ‘Olympic Legacy’.

Earlier this year Boris Johnson and David Cameron were forced by mounting criticism to submit a joint, open letter to the Evening Standard explaining that the Olympic Spirit was far from dead.  “Six months on from that unforgettable opening ceremony” the pair wrote, “we are both as committed as ever to making the most of the Games . . . we are determined to generate a momentum that will ensure the greatest Games ever deliver a legacy that lasts a lifetime.”

Was the 2012 surge of interest in England as a tourist destination just a fillip, as Boyle described, sparked by the Games? Or does it mark the country’s return to the dizzying heights of 2006 and 2007 – the country’s most successful years in terms of tourist spending and international visitors respectively?

Increase of Chinese Tourists to London

Forecasts from Visit Britain suggest that in 2013 the UK will welcome 31.7 million guests, a healthy 3% growth on 2012. Similarly, the group predict that the amount spent by overseas visitors will increase by 2.5% to £19 billion. By these figures one can assume that, in terms of enticing visitors to our little island, the Olympics have certainly helped strengthen and expand the tourism industry. These predictions appear sure-footed when stood up against the sell-out shows and exhibitions currently gracing our city such as Bowie is . . . at the V&A, Life and Death in Pompeii at The British Museum, The Book of Mormon and The Audience.

Part of this growth, admittedly, is due to England’s status as the ‘gateway to Europe’ and it’s accessibility from the rest of the world. CEO of Visit Britain Sandie Dawe says “we need to get more of a share of the visitors from the emerging or newly emerged huge growth economies like India and China where people are starting to travel more”. The Chinese tourism market in particular is one that the English economy is keen to grab hold of. In 2012 Chinese visitors spent 31% more than in previous years and, as revealed in The Guardian last year, Chinese tourists on average spend three times more than other international visitors. Little wonder that Harrods have employed 75 Manadarin speaking staff and that Impact’s East Song campaign, which also uses Mandarin speakers to distribute shopping maps to Chinese visitors, is growing month upon month.

As redundant as it sounds considering the above statistics, tourism is clearly still worth investing in. Over here at Impact, we’re currently gearing up our InfoBikes and training our multi-lingual staff for the summer season, ensuring we can assist the wave of visitors descending on London and help them get the most out of our great city.

Are you ready for the busy tourist season? To find out how we can help you contact Claire on 020 7613 8403 or claire@impactideas.co.uk.

We at Impact have found that some our favourite designs –  although eye catching – are not easily accessible, meaning they get lost in our racks.

Therefore, we have used our 15 years industry experience to create a resourceful infographic that shows where to put your key information, call to action and main image. This will ensure your audience sees and engages with your print before anyone else’s.

Save the infographic on your desktop or keep a print out on your desk for quick and easy reference.

If you have any further questions or would like advice on how to make your print alluring and effective, contact Marliese on marliese@impactideas.co.uk or phone 0207 729 5978.

Leaflet design guidelines - What works best in our display racks?

Some lucky artists will have access to previews and reviews online and in printed media, perhaps a local radio interview. But most will need to rely on simple publicity tools they can generate for themselves.

The magic ingredient for any lively urban celebration of weird and wonderful entertainment is the humble handbill.  For centuries since the invention of the printing press leaflets have been the mainstay of advertising for local events.  Whether it’s a political rally, village fete, jumble sale or entertainment, the printed sheet still has the power to stimulate interest and call people to action.

Witness the UK’s major Fringe Festivals, Brighton and Edinburgh; boisterous handouts on the Royal Mile, and the more furtive, but equally compelling, distribution around the Lanes of Britain’s favourite seaside city (you need a licence to hand out leaflets in Brighton & Hove) are the mainstay of the marketing effort.  Leaflets push shows into the limelight and it’s hard to imagine these events without the immediacy and utility of this cheap, cheerful and compelling medium.

At Impact we put millions of leaflets into the hands of interested audiences each year.  We like to think we know what makes a good piece of printed publicity.  By that we mean something that is fit for purpose, something that engages the recipient enough to consider seriously the offer in front of them, and something that faithfully represents what it’s selling.

Impact award winner 2012

This is our second year of running the Impact Award for printed publicity.  Last year we saw a fantastic array of leaflets promoting poetry, theatre, comedy, dance and live art.  The winner of our award in 2012 was comedian Mae Martin’s show Mae Day.   It was a difficult decision but we thought the leaflet embodied all the things needed in a successful printed marketing tool:

• Visually engaging
• A clear offer
• Genuinely representative of the show
• Contains all the necessary information
• Stands out against competing print

So we look forward to seeing the entrants for this year’s award and their opportunity to win network distribution of their leaflet plus a cheeky little £250.  Judging by the buzz already emanating from the Brighton Fringe offices we’re not going to be disappointed!

Today, we are providing you with a Culture Segments visual guide which presents the key findings for each of the 8 defined segments  in one easy to navigate Infographic.

Download, spread, print it off or keep it on your desktop as your go-to reference for astute demographic information.

Download the Culture Segments Infographic as pdf from here

Impact offers a range of creative, targeted marketing services which are proven to be effective. Give us a call today on 0207 729 5978 to find out how we can help your organisation to spread the work to the right audiences or drop an email to chrisr@impactideas.co.uk

Fast forward 10 years and when the fleet needs to expand to cope with the increasing demands of our print display customers our first choice is still electric.

We offer vinyl-wrapping opportunities on all our vehicles but to celebrate a decade of eco-friendly business, for our latest purchase we knew we needed to find a partner for whom being green is central to their brand values.

With this in mind, we approached our friends at marketing agency Dewynters, to offer them the van for hit West End musical Wicked whose message ‘Going Green. For Good’ would sit perfectly on the livery of our green machine.  As if they needed any further convincing, we were able to inform them that as zero emissions vehicles are congestion charge-exempt, we could guarantee that the Wicked van would be in daily use in Central London, particularly in tourist hotspots such as the West End and South Bank areas, for maximum visibility by their target audience.

Naturally the producers of Wicked jumped at the opportunity so the Dewynters design department produced some stunning artwork bearing the legend ‘It’s Wicked to be Green’ which was turned into a full vinyl wrap by the team at Raccoon.

We’re all delighted with the final result: an eye-catching mobile advertisement for a hit show in the form of a van that’s green on the inside and the outside!

For more information on van-wrapping opportunities contact emma@impactideas.co.uk or call us on 020 7729 5978.

As a result of public reactions such as these, many are turning away from shocks and leaning towards the use of nudge tactics. But does being shocked still have an effect and does it hold a valid place within the industry?

Stephen Mangan in 'Birthday' at The Royal Court Theatre

The first few months of a new year are home to many social, cultural and economic certainties. One of these commonalities, along with bulging credit card bills and the office party aftermath, is the Department of Health’s increase in activity to promote healthy living post-Christmas.  

NHS Stop smoking campaign

However, this year the department has fallen foul of many television viewers due to the new anti-smoking campaign. The advert, which premiered in late December and shows a cancerous lump growing on a cigarette, has already led to numerous complaints being lodged at the Advertising Standards Authority due to the graphic content.

This has in turn compelled many to accuse the Coalition Government, who hinted toward a more ‘nudging’ tactic upon election in 2010, of reverting to ‘shock’ tactics in order to scaremonger and  elicit rapid, emotionally charged and counterproductive responses from its audience.

Of course, this is not the first time shock tactics have been used as a call to action. The use of shocking images to impel the public can be traced back to the Victorian era when Thomas Barnardo showed choreographed before-and-after photographs of children who had apparently been through his system of care and rehabilitation. One image showed an impoverished, malnourished, dirty child and the other a clean, industrious and healthy child actively working towards what was regarded as a socially positive outcome.

Before and After ad by Barnado's

Retrospectively these images seem tame and even twee, but to the unversed, Dickensian, highbrow classes of 19^th century London the pictures highlighted the plight of street children in a way many found uncomfortable.

A hundred years later this tone of communication was revitalised by the Barnardo’s foundation with their ventures into video marketing. Their first television advert, ‘Break the Cycle’, released in 2008, showed graphic and disconcerting images of the continuous and repeating chain of grief surrounding an abused and wayward child. Again, over a century since the charity’s initial exploration into the use of shock tactics, Barnardo’s had resorted to emotionally potent material to increase awareness.

The NSPCC’s ‘Full Stop’ campaign also employed shock tactics and, as with the Department of Health’s current advert, came under fire from the public and the press due to the shocking images and messages used to create memorably visceral and disturbing adverts. However the campaign, which utilised video and print marketing strategies, was an unprecedented success with final figures showing the charity had surpassed its targets by 70%. It is examples such as this that reveal why shock tactics are continually utilised by this sector and why many others follow suit.

Critics of shock tactics as a means of communication claim it alienates audiences by aggressively eliminating any realm of choice.

“If you just frighten people and don’t have corresponding activities to help people quit, then there’s a danger you create the fear and anxiety but not the change in behavior . . . If you make me feel bad about something but don’t give me something I can do about it, then in an unconscious way I almost end up disliking you and your message.” Rory Sutherland, president of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (2009 – 2011)

In their critically revered work ‘Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness’ Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein suggest that “by offering choices one is able to gradually affect and indirectly influence an audiences’ views and, ultimately, their own choices.”  The mass conformity of the audience, despite the offer of choice, is due to the message feeling personal and the western ideal of ‘keeping up with the Jones’.

In their book, Thaler and Sunstein describe a case study in America where high energy consumers were told how much they were using in relation to their neighbors, ultimately resulting in the perpetrators reducing their expenditure. This technique is being rolled out across the western world and Sunstein and Thaler are now employed by the American and British governments respectively.

In spite of this, the success of nudge tactics is confined by the immediate cultural surroundings. The aforementioned case study from America is not being transplanted in France as behavioral and brain scientist Olivier Oullier, an adviser to the French government, states that “The French have a tendency not to comply as easily with perceived social norms the way Anglo-Saxons would . . . Telling someone in France that their neighbor is using less electricity or saving more water is not sufficient”.

So, in light of the above, can we conclude whether shock and/or nudge tactics have a place in the surroundings of art and culture? Can an audience be shocked into action when the products on offer are not physically beneficial to either the first or a third party? And, without wanting to sound too much like Mary Whitehouse, with society’s views on what is deemed taboo and shocking relaxing at an incalculable rate, do shock tactics have a place in the world of marketing at all?

Last year a theatre production at The Royal Court entitled ‘Birthday’ had a scene where Stephen Mangan, the lead actor, opened his trousers to reveal a prosthetic erect penis. The reaction of the preview audiences was described as a “cold and uncomfortable silence”. Although hardly akin to the Old Price riots of 1809, the negative reaction was still enough to change the production days before its official opening and Mangan’s penis was not seen again.

Does this example display that theatre goers and art lovers are a little more sensitive and is the cultural environment they inhabit one not willing to accept shock tactics?

From your experience, do shock tactics have a place within arts marketing or is nudging the way?

Join our conversation on Twitter #shockmarketing @impact_ideas