March, 2004
Blue Dingo Puts the Shakes in
Tremor; Online Teen Social Network Goes to Work for Procter & Gamble
It helped Head & Shoulders broach a niche message -- that the shampoo kills the fungus that causes dandruff, and Shamrock Farms select a new chocolate milk flavor. It helped Herbal Essence decide which commercial to air for its Fruit Fusions Tropical Showers, Pringles which music to back a TV spot and Pantene, which model to feature. It helped shape the movie trailer for "Biker Boyz" and the design for Crest SpinBrush and named the DreamWorks film "Eurotrip" -- in fact, 20 of the 60,000 Tremorite suggestions were "Eurotrip."
The Tremor Nation did that -- the sales force of 280,000 teens that Procter & Gamble assembled as part of a massive focus group and word-of-mouth marketing drive to counter the eroding influence of conventional advertising.
Blue Dingo is the phonics behind that word-of-mouth.
Responding to P&G's mandate to stop the erosion of its base, Blue Dingo expanded P&G's offline word-of-mouth mechanism to another dimension. The new online community that Blue Dingo built allows marketers to test receptivity to products and spark traditionally hard-to-reach Tremorites to endorse brands and services among their friends. These "missionaries" give cachet to movies, milk, motor oil, etc. and convert newbies to these products wherever they hang out in person or virtually.
The Tremor Nation is the first of what's expected to be a mass movement as advertisers seek new ways to attract audiences and build loyalty.
Since Blue Dingo built Tremor in 2003, it helped Coca Cola pick "Nothing Else Like It" as a billboard slogan and Valvoline to familiarize young drivers with SynPower premium oil. Sony dropped magazines and radio ads to hitch a ride on the Tremor train to promote Net MD and CAA artists such as Missy Elliott have used Tremor to break out. They were eager for gregarious teen "influencers" who want to know about stuff before other people discuss their products. Tremorites receive coupons and product samples such as exclusive music mixes and shampoo, but their real reward is being an insider.
Now, in response to what Tremorites wanted, the website has been redesigned to become the virtual equivalent of a gated community, a members- only website replete with word-of-mouth and community-building features. Member input helped refine the concept, name feature sections, modify navigability and add interactivity.
The new Tremor.com website features areas where Tremorites can quickly view Tremor programs currently available to them, search for and hook up with other members with similar interests whom they can Instant Message, send personal messages to one another and receive notes from the Tremor Team, see what's hot and happening in their own hometown and throughout the U.S., access unreleased music and get special offers negotiated exclusively for Tremorites.
Other unique cyber adventures Blue Dingo has created include a website builder for Century 21 brokers and agents, a global website for Cendant Mobility, a virtual tour for Volvo and a new mother community for Gerber Products.
New York-based Blue Dingo specializes in building web-based
interactive communictaions programs and online social networks. |
