The digital age has been difficult for many marketers. All too often, marketers put the technological cart before the strategic horse. Facebook (and other social networks) is a breeding ground for campaigns that focus on the features of the platform, without telling a story.This is certainly not the fault of Facebook, rather it is the fault of marketers, who have not taken the time to internalize the meaning of community and conversation. It is the fault of those that thing technology, in and of itself, is the answer.

We must not forget that, in order to compel consumers, we must offer value–and that value needs to be delivered in the form of a story; advertising 101.

A few weeks ago Palm launched a campaign for it’s Centro line call; Claüs. The campaign is unique for a number of reasons:

• While the campaign has applications, they are not the centerpiece. Palm is not relying on the ever popular “viral nature of the social graph”
  • This campaign appears to be a viral success, as there are over 60k fans, and nearly a thousand wall posts–but it is apparent that the creators of this campaign new that it takes more than a one trick pony to ensure virality
    • Some of the content is good, come of the content is not as good, but overall, this is a fun campaign
  • The two applications that are offered, are not front and center
• There is very little branding on the page (there is some, but it is not overwhelming)
  • see my article about Branding without Brands for more on this topic
• Through various multimedia aspects, the brand tells a story in a nonlinear fashion
  • this gives people a reason to poke around the page and look for more pieces of the puzzle
• Free downloadable music (I strongly recommend, Samba Dreidel)

Overall this is a fun and refreshing campaign. At a time when many marketers are already dismissing Facebook as a viable option, it is nice to see a truly creative effort that shows us, it is not the platform per se, it is how you use it!

Overall Scores:

Creativity: B+

Execution: A

Conversational Strategy: B

General Strategy: A-

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