One of the most beautiful spots I’ve ever seen.
January 2010 Archive
Embrace Life
Your Very Own Billboard—for $100
Transit Billboard © Stop Shark Finning
Basketball star Yao Ming and I share something in common, and although I’m 6′ 2″, it’s not height. We both abhor the practice of shark finning. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, let me clarify. Shark fin soup is a Cantonese delicacy that is often served during the holidays or to those elite who can afford it. According to the National Geographic, more than 40 million sharks are caught each year and have their fins sliced off. They are then thrown back into the sea to die. Not only is this industry barbaric and wasteful but it’s detrimental to the ocean’s ecosystem.
Which is why Yao Ming has loaned his face and voice to a billboard and television campaign in China. Anyone can buy a year-long billboard placement at bus shelters or in other high-traffic areas for only $100. The purpose of the ad is to educate people on the issues surrounding shark finning. And after a year, it’s beginning to work.
According to Stop Shark Finning, 19% of those surveyed in Beijing said they remembered the ad. 82% of these respondents agreed to stop or reduce their consumption of shark fin soup. In addition, non-profit organization WildAid has produced television PSAs starring Yao Ming to help support the outdoor campaign. But there’s much work to be done. Shark fin soup is a deep-rooted cultural dish in China and it will take time to spread the message. With some luck, demand will decrease and the killing will slow.
Creating Content
Phew. We’ve been pretty busy here at One On One. It’s that time of year where the Canadian International AutoShow kicks into high gear. As such, I’ve had little time to devote to our Insights blog. The good news is, we’re stockpiling some experience that should yeild a few case studies that we can share in this forum. While at this time of year we’d normally be starting our AutoShow efforts in earnest, the reality is that we’ve already been working pretty hard these past few months monitoring and managing the brand in the digital realm.
The latest news we can share is that one staff member—Kyle—was lucky enough to head down to Detroit for the North American International Auto Show on behalf of the Canadian International AutoShow. He flew down for the 2-day media event, recording some unveilings which had been requested by AutoShow fans via a Twitter poll that we’d created. In addition to this footage, Kyle managed to interview a few spokespeople from Chevrolet, Tesla, Cadillac and more. If you’re interested in seeing the movie, you can find it HERE.
Canadians are Buying Smart
According to today’s Globe and Mail, 55% Canadians are expected to buy new mobile handsets in the coming year. This figure is up from 19% last year, says TNS Canadian Facts. Of those interested in a new wireless phone, 28% were looking into touchscreen smartphones while 19% expressed the desire for a QWERTY keyboard, likely for easy texting.
The other big telecom shift for 2010—especially with the entry of multiple new service providers—is the idea of wireless substitution whereby subscribers ditch their land lines and keep their wireless number.
M-Commerce is on the Rise
For obvious reasons—ease-of-use the most notable one—smartphones are leading charge in mobile commerce. According to e-Marketer, one third of smartphone users purchased an item after seeing it in the store. 28% purchased an item on their phone when it wasn’t available at a store. Another 28% purchased an item without seeing it in a store. Other activities include checking the status of a submitted rebate, checking to see if an item was available for pick-up and, of course, price comparison.
But the most common smartphone behaviours to date (near 50% and higher) include checking consumer/third-party reviews, product descriptions, looking up shipping information and confirming store hours and location. Deloitte found that one fifth of smartphone users were planning to engage in shopping activities with their phones this past holiday season. It will be interesting to see what research is revealed in the coming months.
