1. About buzz marketing and online – offline integration

   During the Nadchodzi4 project apart from traditional Internet campaign we used buzz marketing. Buzz marketing is creating buzz around the brand or product and inspiring consumers to talk about it through an attractive content of the message, an event or action. The basis of these actions is creating a pretext to talk about the brand.

   Buzz marketing is the process of sharing information which uses peoples natural tendency for trusting the opinions of the people they know and experts in a given area.

   Buzz marketing:

   • Infecting/inspiring consumers to talk about us/our product through an interesting content/event/action
   • The process of sharing information (word of mouth)
   • It uses peoples natural tendency to rely on the opinions of the people they know, trust and respect, as well as experts with authority
   • It relies on the important role of the initiator/sender of the content

   The basis of all these actions is:

   • Creating a pretext to talk/write about our brand/product

   The aim of all these actions is:

   • Creating buzz around our brand/product

   The essence of buzz:
   We give a pretext to talk/write about our brand and create content around it:

   • Create events
   • Create our content
   • Give the initial „spark”
   • Inspire...

   ...but it is the consumers who create the buzz...

   • By talking about the event, discussing it, passing on information/content they create buzz around our brand

   In creating buzz remember to:

   1. Make sure that the product is part of the communication process.
   2. Inspire the users to interact with each other and let them:
      • talk, comment, create
      • share opinions about the product/brand
   3. Take care of the integration of online and offline communication.

2. Goals and assumptions

   Viral movie : Pyramid
   1. Making buzz – By creating buzz a few months before the launch we wanted as many people as possible to hear and talk about the fact that a new telecommunication operator is entering the market and what are its basic characteristics.
   2. Acquiring ambassadors of the brand – people who will pass on information about our brand and events to their friends or media in a natural way.
   3. Promoting the brand among friends, not in a brazen way like commercials, but by creating an actual interest. This together with a recommendation from a close person is the best and probably most effective way of promotion.
   4. Testing the new network and gathering feedback from beta-testers.
   5. Educating about multimedia communication and ways of using it.
   6. Creating content of the Nadchodzi4.com community.

3. Project fulfillment

   The Nadchodzi4.com program included:

   1. Recruitment of 20.000 beta-testers, online campaign
   2. Training in 3G phones, web 2.0 and the phones multimedia possibilities
   3. Creating our own community – tools strengthening community and enhancing buzz
   4. Activating and inspiring the community:
      • Community leaders
      • Contests
      • Events online – offline
      • Constant communication (sms, e-mail, mms)
   5. Testing the network
   6. Converting beta-testers and to-be beta-testers into clients

   The information about the program was in itself an event that created a lot of buzz on the market...

   • ...but you can’t give away 20.000 phones and expect to have 20.000 active ambassadors of the brand...
   • ...you need to inspire them and create an environment for spreading information about the brand and the program. Give them tools.

   A. Recruitment of 20.000 beta-testers, online campaign

    

   

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   We designed an online campaign that was coherent with ATL advertising. It was aimed at recruiting 20.000 beta-testers. The campaign was supported by our moderators who searched the Web for most active Internet users. The chosen ones where then invited to join our program.

   We have created a series of creative lines based on ‘pleasure machines’ offline concept.

   Additionally, using virals put on portals such as YouTube.com we created buzz around the project and encouraged people to visit the Nadchodzi4.com site and fill in the questionnaire.

   Recruitment:

   • 20.000 beta-testers were selected out of about 270.394 people who wanted to be part of the program
   • They were chosen on the basis of:
     • using new media
     • being active in different communities
     • age
     • other

   B. Training in 3G phones, web 2.0 and the phones multimedia possibilities

   Nadchodzi4 : first Beta Testers

   The 20.000 chosen beta-testers were invited to clubs in Warsaw and Gdynia, where they were informed about the testing program and its rules and trained in how to use 3G phones. They were then given mobile phones and encouraged to test their possibilities as well as the network. During presentations all the users were given a multimedia presentation instructing them about the project.

   Beta test : Nadchodzi4 Training

   Beta-testers were asked to give feedback – both positive and negative. A special site was created, where they could start their own blogs, download photos and movies, meet other beta-testers and post their comments about 3G phones and the network.

   Training in:

   • 3G phones and their multimedia possibilities
   • Web 2.0 and mobile 2.0 (community platforms usage)
   • Giving feedback

   We emphasized the fact that Nadchodzi4 program members were beta-testers of a new mobile network – they were co-creating it with us.

   C. Creating our own community – tools strengthening the community and enhancing the buzz

    

   

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   We were communicating with and inspiring our beta-testers using a series of tools, such as:

   • Community portal web 2.0
   • Mobile portal 2.0
   • Text messages and mailing
   • Multimedia phones

   We created design, html and content for Nadchodzi4 community portal – with a series of activating actions and contests. All of our actions were aimed at consolidating the community in order to enhance the effects of the buzz.

   Multimedia presentation was instructing our beta-testers in how to write blogs, shoot videos with their mobile or take part in contests. It was a miniguide of our community portal.

   Tools (www and mobile):

   • Blogs
   • Photoblogs
   • Moblogs
   • Contest applications
   • Very easy content upload
   • Sharing passions
   • Judging and commenting
   • Each person received a multimedia phone with the ability to create content and upload it to the Web

   D. Activating and inspiring the community

    

   

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   We were conducting a series of activities in order to inspire our community:

   • Community leaders
   • Contests:
     • Most active users
     • Creating content
     • Writing blogs or creating photoblogs
     • Other
   • Events online – offline
   • Constant communication (sms, e-mail, mms)
   • Viral marketing – creating content and viral movies tagged as „nadchodzi4.com” or „nadchodz4”
   • Weekly themes
   • Promoting users and content created by them:
     • On the www portal
     • Mobile
     • Outside them

   All these actions were supposed to make our group of buzzers more active not only within our community, but also outside it. The content that they created was accessible not only on our site, but also sent on and recommended to friends and strangers.

   Viral movie : Regards from Pekin

   Viral marketing:

   Viral movie : B-Boy

   We created viral movies promoting the testing program Nadchodzi4 among Internet users. These virals were an addition to the advertising campaign on the Internet. They had a teasing function and encouraged Internet users to create their own movies and put them on the Web using portals such as YouTube.com.

   We created three types of virals promoting the Nadchodzi4 project:

   • 4 related to good luck chains
   • 3 styled as casting movies
   • One showing a human „Pyramid”
   Viral movie : Britney at the bar

   ...and put them on the popular site YouTube.com. You can watch it here:

   • "Brytnejka przy barze": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQWvCwg2_dk
   • "B-Boy": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXr--9s4HZk
   • "Nadia tancerka": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUiooowNQ9k
   • "Alejandro Pascal gotuje": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGkYZARIvoo
   • "Nie bądź niegrzecznym pieskiem": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kNvffJDfuc
   • "Wściekły George": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dclbM5XIkgw
   • "Układ choreograficzny Łuk": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG4wP28C_-8
   • "Piramida": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fclJpDGp2gQ

   Effects:

   Our viral movies have been seen over 100.000 times, but most of all about 500 new movies were created by beta-testers. Tagged as 'nadchodzi4‘ or 'nadchodzi4.com‘ and placed on portals such as YouTube.com they were watched a large number of times.

   Examples:

   • „Striptease” by beta-tester: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr2XVTxNgzQ
   • „Sunshine” by beta-tester: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Ai1Pguvrw
   • „Pekin” by beta-tester: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opsc1xjlivI

   Online – offline integration: creating events

   Party just 4 you for Beta Tester Zbylu

   An important part of activating users was integration of actions in new media with those in the real world. We organized small events „Just 4 you”: Prize in a contest, Party for a chosen beta-tester and his friends.

   Community leaders

    

   

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   Actions:

   • Activating the community
   • Helping, guiding other users
   • Initiating and supporting communication between users
   • Seeking out and spreading information about spontaneous meetings and parties organized by beta-testers
   • Initiating meetings in the real world
   • Creating blogs and photoblogs that became the platform for communication between testers
   • Answering questions from beta-testers

   Constant communication (sms, e-mail, mms)

   Mailing in the form of a weekly newsletter kept beta-testers up-to-date on the important events and informed them about the weekly themes, interesting contest and promoted all other activities.

   Twice a week we sent text (sms) or multimedia (mms) messages to our users in order to engage them more in our activities.

   • Listen. Music rules the Web. Create your own musical reality. Let your blog be the number one on the chart. Inspirations on www.playmobile.pl.
   • Musical Halloween – this week we will stand on the dark side of the entertainment. Musical horror or music from horror movies? What mysteries are hidden in the Gothic?
   • Write all you can during the Disco Week. What makes the dance music so popular through the years? What is your favorite disco hit? Join the discussion on www.playmobile.pl

   E. Testing the network

   Apart from buzz, an additional element of the Nadchodzi4.com program was testing the network.

   • The users were informed that this is a test of the new mobile network and many of the applications could not function properly. They were asked to give us feedback regarding the functionality of the network.
   • Thanks to this approach there was no negative buzz about potential problems. It made the users more committed to the program.
   • According to the agreement each beta-tester was obligated to use for the purpose of the test all applications available on the phone and also to share his or her opinions via special forms available on the site.

   F. Converting beta-testers and to-be beta-testers into clients

   Nadchodzi4 program has ended and we were given the task of converting as many beta-testers into clients as possible. We were responsible for signing contracts with them and sending them a mobile phone (if expected). 51% of Nadchodzi4 beta-testers decided to become clients of the new mobile network.

   G. Results & awards

   Out of 270.394 potential project members who registered on the Nadchodzi4.com site and filled in the questionnaire 20.000 were chosen as beta-testers, recruited and trained. After the testing program ended, 51% of Nadchodzi4 beta-testers decided to become clients of the new mobile network. In return, they were given the mobile phones they used for testing the network and promotional rates.

   We were rewarded for Nadchodzi4 program in a series of contests:

   • Bronze statue at the Polish Advertising Contest (KTR) in the „New media viral marketing” category.
   • A distinction at the direct marketing contest Golden Arrow in the „Internet marketing – viral marketing” category.
   • Bronze at the EFFIE 2007 in the „Telecommunication services” category.
   • Winner at the Diamond Awards in the „Viral marketing” category.

 

Awards for Nadchodzi4 project

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