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How to revive an ATM as a marketing communication vehicle – HSBC

Entry in English

Kiedy sądzisz, że nic nie jest już w stanie Ciebie zaskoczyć, zdarza się właśnie coś takiego. Bankowość/usługi finansowe to stosunkowo trudny obszar do promocji. Ciężko jest znaleźć nowe sposoby promocji z wykorzystaniem starych narzędzi – w tym przepadku bankomatu. O ile często zdarza się umieszczać informacje promocyjne na ekranie, umocować półkę/wieszak z ulotkami (idealne miejsce do schowania kamery nagrywającej wpisywany PIN… Powinienem zrobić notkę o zabezpieczeniach) to inwencja kończy się zazwyczaj tutaj. Tym bardziej cieszy, kiedy spotka się tak udaną realizację.

Na papierowym potwierdzeniu dokonania wypłaty z bankomatu umieszczono wzory orgiami, umożliwiające złożenie myszy dla wersji z bankowością internetową, torebki dla karty kredytowej, świnki dla konta oszczędnościowego itd. Nie doszukiwałbym się jednak wyrafinowanej personalizacji np. drukowanie wydruku z kontem oszczędnościowym dla osoby nim potencjalnie zainteresowanej. To byłoby zbyt piękne. Podejrzewam, że wzory zostały losowo (lub w takiej same sekwencji) nadrukowane na papierową szpulę umieszczoną w bankomacie – na pewno nie był drukowany przez bankomat.
Dobrym pomysłem było umieszczenie instrukcji składania na wierzchniej stronie potwierdzenia, w połączeniu z czerwonym kolorem (zgodnym z marką HSBC) powoduje, że trudno jest go nie zauważyć.

Za

  • Wykorzystanie starego środka komunikacji (można tak nazwać bankomat) w zupełnie nowy sposób
  • Przeciw

  • ?
  • Możliwe ulepszenie
    Zwiększenie prawdopodobieństwa oddziaływania – dodanie informacji o umieszczeniu instrukcji na ekranie, PRZED wybraniem opcji wydruku, np. poprzez słowa ‘mamy dla Ciebie niespodziankę’, ‘nasze zwierzątka czekają na Ciebie’ (ok, co z torebką…) itp. Uniemożliwić przeoczenie tej formy promocji.
    W zależności od konstrukcji bankomatu, jak i jego otoczenia, rozłożyć kilka poskładanych układanek wokół/na bankomacie.
    Jak zawsze – współpracować z końcowymi odbiorcami, może jakiś konkurs na stronie internetowej na nowe/lepsze projekty orgiami.

    Możliwość zastosowania w Polsce:
    Jak najbardziej, chociaż po modyfikacji – pomysł z rozłożeniem poskładanych układanek poza bankomatami w oddziałach banku nie udałby się – pogoda, wandale etc.

    Ocena: 5,5/6

    Niestety nie posiadam dokładniejszych danych (kategoria Oldies –znalezione na dysku) np. co do kraju w którym zrealizowano ten projekt.


    At the time when you think that there is nothing what can surprise you, it happens… Banking/financial services are a rather hard area to promote. It is difficult to find new ways of a communication with the usage of old tools/vehicles – at this case, a good old ATM/cash machine. We can often see a promotional message placed on the ATM’s screen, or a bunch of paper leaflets on a stand next to it (a great place to hide a miniature camera to record inputted PIN code… I should make a note on the security issues), the creativity usually ends here. That’s why it is even more enjoyable to notice such realization.

    On an ATM’s paper cash withdrawal confirmation/receipt origami patterns were placed, which made possible to create a mouse for internet banking version, a handbag for credit card, a piggy for saving account etc. I wouldn’t search here for some advanced personalized marketing, like putting the saving account version on a possibly interested client receipt. It would have been too beautiful. I’m suspecting, that patterns/instructions were placed randomly (or in the specified sequence) on the ATM’s paper reel – for sure they weren’t printed by the ATM printer.
    Instructions were located on the top side of the paper confirmation – a very good idea, and in joint with the red color (in accordance with the HSBC brand) makes it hard not to notice it.

    Pro

  • Usage of the old communication vehicle (an ATM can be called so) in a completely new way.
  • Cons

  • ?
  • Possible improvement
    To increase the impact level and spotting probability – add an information about instructions on the screen, BEFORE choosing the ‘print confirmation’ option i.e. with the words ‘we have a surprise for You’, ‘our pets are waiting for You’ (ok, what with the handbag…) etc. This will make missing them impossible.
    Depending on the ATM construction, or the surrounding environment, place some solved origami puzzles around/on the cash machine, to attract attention.
    As always – work with your clients, involve them. Maybe a contest on a website for a new/better origami projects?

    Implementation in Poland:
    Indeed it can be, but with small modifications, like the idea of placing solved puzzles around the machine will rather not work in the case of ATMs located outside bank branches – weather conditions, vandals etc.

    Evaluation: 5,5/6

    Unfortunately I do not have more specific data, like the country where project was realized, as this entry is from the Oldies category.

    EDIT: Ha, I’ve found the original source in my RSS collection, so credits go to the Guerrilla Marketing defined , and division responsible was HSBC Australia.

    Making banking simpler.


    Making banking simpler
    Uploaded by Habzapl

    Entry in English
    Osiemnasty odcinek sezonu dziesiątego: “Roe To Perdition”.
    Bankomat omyłkowo wypłacił Martinowi więcej pieniędzy niż powinien. Namówiony przez Daphne próbuje zwrócić nienależną kwotę, co okazuje się nie być wcale takie proste… Zabawna satyra na formalności oraz przepływ informacji w banku. Opis odcinka (eng).
    Wszystkie odcinki do kupienia tutaj.


    Eighteenth episode of the tenth season: “Roe To Perdition”.
    An ATM pays out more to Martin than it should. Promptly motivated by Daphne, Martin decides to give back extra money to the ‘big faceless bank‘. It becomes surprisingly difficult, and completely opposite to their motto – ‘Making banking simpler’. It is a good satire on the formalities and information flow in financial institutions.
    Here you can find episode summary, and here all episodes of this great sitcom can be bought.

    Newspaper credibility – is it really worthy risking for few extra bucks? – Los Angeles Times USA

    I’m not a big fan of non-direct promotional strategies. In my recognition, when you’re deciding to promote your product, you do it openly, avoiding cheap tricks – in this case usage of non-conventional marketing vehicle, i.e. placing your ads where receivers are not expecting to see them. It is a matter of treating your potential customers in a honest way. Such strategy has a great potential of backfiring, and turning back against its creators – in this case both involved parties. I have nothing against sponsored articles, but only when they’re placed in the proper section of a credible newspaper, and are also promptly marked. Los Angeles Times has lost somewhere the first condition.

    NBC’s Southland TV series had been recently promoted in such way. It is an another Police oriented drama, with approximately 100% of political correctness factor, as:

    Southland takes a “raw and authentic look” at Los Angeles and the lives of the LAPD officers who police it. The show’s seven episode first season[2] centers around the experiences and interactions of LAPD patrol officers and detectives, and is less a police procedural than a character-drive drama.[3][4] Among the characters are Off. Ben Sherman, a rookie cop and his openly-gay training officer, John Cooper, Off. Chickie Brown, who aspires to be the first woman on the elite SWAT Team , dedicated Detective Lydia Adams, and Detective Sammy Bryant, whose home life interferes with his working life.[5]

    Classic. Los Angeles Times is recently having major financial difficulties as most of the old-media, traditional printed press, as advertising market is getting smaller and smaller. So, they’ve agreed to promote Southland by placing its ad on the front page, stylizing it as a normal article, telling the story of a heroic rookie Police officer. Maybe the knife on their throat motivated them for such move, or NBC just played it well. I do not know, and frankly I do not care. I just see a symptom, that will bring problems in the future, when media will decide to move the credibility border further. Here they’re playing secure, as MediaPost reports:

    NBC says it is taking care not to deceive readers; the story is in different style than the paper’s normal content. It appears in a smaller typeface, and is also marked as an advertisement.

    So, everything looks ok, right? Ordinary content can be divided from the ad, but I’d really want to see a research detailing how large fraction of readers did so. I’m not pointing in the so-called ignorance among US citizens, a point of view so popular in Europe. Stupidity, or shallowness are universal, and completely border free. There is a significant portion of people who have problems with dividing reality from i.e. television stories. So many times actors who’re playing popular characters are complying that they are not being recognized as themselves, but rather as who they’re playing. People are also i.e. copying the patterns of behavior from their favorite series. Borders between reality and affectation is melting, and while this can be a great marketing opportunity for promoting (like product placement once had been), it is tricky and dangerous for the content providers. Trust is the most precious value achieved especially by a media company. As precious it is, as easy it is to loose.

    Los Angeles Times Southland case should be a firm warning, and the ultimate border.

    For NBC – it didn’t backfired at all, as if people didn’t combined heroic rookie with their series, maybe they will at least remember the main character name, which will benefit for the station. If they did combined, they had just felt a bit confused, and were rather angry for a newspaper, not for NBC. But it could’ve been worse.
    Pros

  • Innovative, and if properly used very beneficial for a company which uses it for a promotion.
  • Cons

  • Potential of backfiring and damages in the image of both parties involved.
  • Hurts credibility of chosen media.
  • Evaluation: 1/6 for L.A. Times, 4/6 for NBC

    More on the subject in Variety.

    Inspiration: Endgame (Polish)

    Inside the wrong job? – 51job.com China

    An another revelation of the ‘Oldies’ category. AFAIR media used in this campaign was print, rather not outdoor. 51job.com is a leading Chinese headhunting website – well, at least according to a quickly found description. I’ve been planning to give positive review to this campaign, but the phrase ‘headhunting’ puzzled me a bit. If it would be an ordinary job seeking website, used concept would be great, but if it is headhunted-oriented, I am not so sure… This sing 招聘 should mean recruitment, so now I am rather sure of its headhunting orientation.
    WRONG!
    Concept is not right, or would be right if someone would have planned to seek brokers and office workers among unqualified people. It would have been a beautiful world if it would be true, but sadly it is not. Campaign is giving us mixed signals, more in the Cons.

    Pros

  • Excellent idea for a job-seeking website oriented for the employees who are searching by themselves how to improve their career. A Road Worker can become a Broker, I do not see any obstacles if he’s just having enough determination. But only then.
  • Idea of breaking from a self-created imprisonment is very good.
  • Cons

  • Office worker transformed into a Diver – I can buy that, why not. There are no special (AFAIK) qualifications needed to become a diver, beside an extended course, so ‘downgrading’ from a current position is not a problem. I see the major obstacle in the opposite direction, presented on the Road worker print. Especially, if 51job is a headhunting oriented website. Headhunting for me means, that competeting companies from that same sector, are trying to attract to them the best qualified employees. I do really doubt, that a HR specialist would search for a broker among other non-financial related sectors, or people with required education. Because of this, this campaign looks a bit naive.
  • Possible improvement
    You may say:

    ‘Right Jan, so should we show in our print transformation of a commodity broker into a stock broker (with a distinction of a different tie color?). Where is the fun in that?’

    Nope, if we’re still planning to be faithful to the original concept and our website is headhunted oriented, we should explore the path of the Office worker – Diver print, which is quite good indeed. Convince viewers that thanks to our website they may make their career dreams come true, find the fun in their daily work, but keep as much realism as it is only possible. Use common dream-jobs, like airplane pilot, writer, or anything else. Make ‘stop the daily boredom of your work’ your primary theme.

    Implementation in Poland
    In my recognition my fellow countrymen are cynical, and hard to buy with cheap tricks. Also, they may find hard to believe in the make-dream-job-come-true theme. Still, I think that the core concept, of breaking the daily routine in your job, nicely visualized here can be developed in any country.

    Evaluation: 3,5/6

    This biker is not going anywhere – SBS Australia.

    An ambient project from Australia, created by the SBS TV station, which had been covering Tour de France race at the time. Idea is simple – put one guy in a shiny yellow suit on the street, and order him to pedal for 21 days (fortunately not 24h, but from 8 am to 4 pm, and with two days of break-off as in the original race…). But the poor biker is not going anywhere, as his pedaling is powering the scroll of the metrolite/citylight stand. Event was projected as an endurance test (but it is a bit hard for me to see a clear connection between a TV station and endurance…)

    Pros

  • If the duration period and dates were chosen as of the original race (we do not have enough information) – ok
  • Even the ads are an endurance event – very good slogan if we believe in the link between TV station and endurance. I might have had placed it in the Cons section, as I believe that every marketing action should not only focus on the promotion of specified product/event, but also brand which stands behind it. Here I do not see it. Also yellow, a good color for pointing above crowd, in this case is AFAIK not associated with the company colors.
  • Cons

  • Stand design is nothing unusual – just an ordinary metrolite with a bike attached. If it was planned to distinguish itself from the metro jungle, it would be better if it would had been designed larger, maybe with let’s say few LCD’s with transmission (due to the time zones difference, it would be probably a retransmission) of the race.
  • Only one location (again, the info…)? We do not know that, but if the biker was located all the time in one place, even if that was Melbourne’s Times Square is an obvious waste of resources. Bike is a definition of mobility, so every day (all even few times during that same day) it should be moved through a set of different popular locations.
  • Pointless effort – why the bystander should not ask himself – what a waste of resources/time, as there is no added value to this project. It creates and leaves nothing.
  • Possible improvement
    Socialize it, involve the people. Why not combine that single guy efforts with a charity event (always a relatively cheap way to gain publicity). Let’s say that on the final day of the race SBS makes an event on a local stadium, and pledges to do something (probably give money of theirs or sponsors) for a selected charity. They would invite people with their own bikes on the stadium ,give them distance meters, and tell that they (or sponsors) will donate a sum for every kilometer they will ride that final day on the stadium. There would be a possibility to make a larger health-related event of that.
    Put a kilometer meter, or some bar/scale which would present achieved distance.

    Implementation in Poland
    Not likely, not only because of the weather conditions, but also because of the niche the cycling sport is. It _could_ be used together with a sort of a social/health campaign, or promoting biking as a way to spend time.

    Evaluation: 4/6