21 April 2009

Posted at 00:53h in connex, twitter by

I think this is the first positive thing I have ever said about Melbourne train service provider Connex. I feel like it is such a momentous occasion it deserves to be mentioned in the title of this post. More than a few months ago I registered the Twitter account @ConnexMelbourne. I posted my email address and said if Connex wanted the account all they had to do was contact me. Eventually they did. I handed it over without much reluctance, although I kind of wish I asked for a yearly Metcard or something now. Anyway, it sat unused for quite some time. Just as I was about to get frustrated it finally became active. As Twitter slowly becomes mainstream, users often complain they can't see the use for it because Facebook status updates. But here's a perfect example for you after having a light bulb moment today. Catching a train into the city on my journey home from Uni I was browsing Twitter on my iPhone. I noticed the @ConnexMelbourne account said the train line for my ride out of the city was significantly delayed. This meant as soon as I got into Flinders Street Station I could jump on an alternate train line without wasting time and potentially missing a connection. My one critique, it would be great to establish an account for all of the train lines so I have the option to only subscribe to the ones I want. But still, I'm happy to put up with it for now. Great work Connex....

19 May 2008

Posted at 20:35h in andrew ranger, connex, facebook, government by

I don't know who Andrew Ranger is but any brand looking to launch themselves on social media could learn a lot from him. He is the person behind Formal Protest Fair Evasion Day (1,394 Members) and I Will Party On Parliament House Steps In Protest Against The 2am Curfew (9,090 Members), two of the biggest buzz generators on Facebook of late. Once again social media proves just how powerful an individual can be and how their influence can significantly impact a brand....

18 April 2008

Posted at 21:47h in andy lee, connex, grr, hamish blake, optus, shampaign, sprite, truth hunters by

The Grr campaign has been launched. I have no idea what its about but I like it although it does remind me of Sprite's Truth Hunter campaign. On one hand, the promotion is far better. They've been using Hamish and Andy by asking contestants to do things that make you go "Grr" for $1,000. One contestant had to get home wearing just his underwear. Another had to listen to the same song for two hours. I've also seen some clever print ads. On the other hand, I'm failing to see the brand tie in. There is a small Optus logo on the website but I'm really not seeing the connection. Perhaps its a shampaign with more to come soon...