Raising awareness with a gun in the hand: Become a war drone master
THE TERM “DRONE” IS USED FOR THOSE WHO BLINDLY FOLLOW SOMEONE, SUCH AS BEES DO WITH THE QUEEN BEE IN A HIVE. A “DRONE” IS ALSO USED FOR THE BUZZ THAT THESE AIRCRAFTS DO WHEN FLYING.
¡BECOME A WAR DRONE MASTER!
With this phrase is how Amnesty International Spain (AI) is trying to persuade their audience to download B3H1ND, a war videogame in where the user will learn how to handle this warlike vehicle, in 2 training sessions and 3 missions with real fire in Afghanistan.
It seems a bit contradictory that a NGO such as Amnesty International creates a game based in war, weapons and their consequences. However, this is the key of the campaign. The goal is facing the gamer to the pressure of achieving military objectives without surpassing the laws of war. As the international organisations says, “military drones have become a daily threat for thousands of people around the world. It is a weapon that is increasing concern on different organisations: are drones respecting war laws, that is to say, international laws that care for civilians in war conflicts?”.
AI, in this campaign, doesn’t really want to entertain users. Its main goal is to raise awareness about the consequences of the use of drones in war conflicts. In this way, B3H1ND changes completely the market’s perception on war videogames. It gives a different version of war, from what these games normally do, in where civilian casualties are common and frequent. AI tends to entertain and make people aware of the issue at the same time.
Amnesty International has used a completely innovative tool for this campaign, with a persuasive horizon still to be discovered. The real power of e-gaming is its possibility of impacting AI’s new target, in a real need of positive values; youth. At the same time, the game sends a real and impacting message to a fictitious scenery, in which the targets immerses itself, with the possibility of creating a stronger link, that goes beyond the screen and keyboard.
Taking into account that videogames have moved away regular leisure options in society, it is a good question to ask ourselves how will they impact young audience, even more with its great capacity of diving into the market. And what happens if the game is imbued of such a positive and active message as AI is willing to communicate? I am sure that many people inside the NGO would be really happy if the APP gets viral in the youth market, but they would be joyful if they achieve that a vast audience stop using their phones to entertain themselves with the game and start looking for information on the issue.
The use of new technologies and e-games to raise awareness means that this incredibly creative tool has adapted, adapting itself to a big audience, with incredible capacity of getting viral and having a big repercussion on their users.
To conclude, in this campaign Amnesty International has learned to adapt themselves and their message to the times running, using a videogame to reach their message to the biggest number possible. You know what they say, “if you are going to shoot, take a deep breath, shut one eye and evaluate your objectives”.
Enrique García, Strategic Planner & Creativity en Always Group
ALWAYS’ SUCCESS, INSPIRED BY THE PEOPLE
Thanks you, Adel, for becoming our inspiration.
ALWAYS’ SUCCESS
When an experienced organising company starts designing an event, it can become something easy – and sometimes a routine – as it normally has the knowledge, the team and the experience. However, what it is really difficult, is to get inspired to create something different.
What can a company focus on to organise and experience and how doing it in an inspiring way? We have it clear: we focus on people.
Organising an event is done “only to be done correctly” or “to fulfil goals” or to “satisfy the client”… those are our musts. An experience becomes something different when it is done with passion, simplicity and is inspired on the people to which is designed for.
In Always we believe in another way of inspiring ourselves to create events. We know anyone can think: “OK, that’s what you say”.
We wanted our last project to be described by a special guest, and hopefully to be done so, with the same passion as we consider our projects. Therefore, this is why we asked Mr. Adel Abdul, the only disabled participant that took part in UN’s InterAgency Games that were held on Port Aventura on June, to tell us his personal and sport story and open our minds to understand life and business in a different way.
He has told us how he lived his experience in 2015’s IAG. But he also opened our eyes in how an event that includes so many differences (social, cultural, physical…) must be organised and helped us to devise events with different perspectives and point of views.
We offer you his story telling so that our clients, followers, and, why not, even our competitors can be inspired by his words. In the end, Always’ advantage is that we are a company that believe in what we do. This is the reason why we share our experiences.
LOYALTY 365 DAYS A YEAR
LOYALTY 365 DAYS A YEAR
The customer that is next to our company, 365 days a year is the cum laude of loyalty, but as the saying goes, “the best thing is not always the best you can do”.
Therefore, it is important to get a full client involvement with the company and for as long as possible. And it is not achieved by magic formulas, or a windfall, but with planning and a project that brings together the interests of two parts: client and company, with the premise that:
- Is relevant to the company and the customer
- Builds customer empathy because it is attractive and will provide value
- Allows the customer to actively participate and to do so by “motu proprio”
- is sustainable over time
Complicated? Of course, if it was not, in Always we would not have it as one of our valuable content to offer our customers. Beyond the name you want to use: branded content relational,fidelity, content system, E-Roisyetem … the important thing is knowing what to do and how to start a program of relational branded content.
The first thing we do is ask many questions about the company, their needs, their coincidences with the customer: Do you like sports? What kind of sport, running, soccer, paddle, sailing …? Is it really important this sport for our project?
We also believe in the customer. What kind of customer is the customer? Are you excited about this proposal? How far would you be willing to participate?
And finally, what message would you send to your customers? How should they interact? What benefits will both get?
Many questions that Always Group will transform into a Project, a BRANDED EXPERIENCE WITH 365 days of interaction to create
… An ad hoc user experience
… Using technological solutions
… That generates loyalty branded content with your target
… Whose idea based marketing solutions
… And besides, MAKING OUR CUSTOMERS CLIENTS HAVE FUN
A Project becomes an experience and that experience generates solutions that generate a return on branding and loyalty, with 100% success
IAG GAMES 2015 – THE OTHER MAKING OFF
THE OTHER MAKING OFF
The ITU (International Telecommunication Union), internal UN agency decided to assign , Always Group the organization of the 42nd Inter Agency Games (AIG), on the Costa Dorada (Tarragona), thanks to the project that surpassed all its competitors.
And from there it all begins. No, that’s not the begining. Indeed, everything begins many months before when Always Group knows that the company may participate in the application of this edition of the IAG.
The beginning of the beginning
As in a film to organize an event takes many hours of work that are not seen. Dedication that goes beyond the end of filming or in our case, the work day of the event and that is something the customer rarely knows because it is not shown in the famous “making off about what happens in the backstage.”
First of all you have to decide whether or not to participate.Even if it doesnt seem like this, the decision can not be improvised, or taken lightly. In any project of this magnitude the first decision is from the general direction, which assesses criteria such as the ability to innovate, the suitability of the project in regard of the the objectives of the company, the growth of the brand image and, of course, the profitability.
Clear objectives, proper equipment
From the moment that the suitability of the project is agreed, structured and dimensioned supply. Nothing is left to chance.Although Always Group started here with the experience of having organized two years ago the 40 games and have 15 years experience organizing events, it was a new project and therefore needs a new approach.To generate a winning project, the first thing to do is to pick a winner leadership. A Project Director responsible is assigned.to Form a winning team with specific profiles: strategy, creativity, and customer Producers A Schedule master created with the goals, timing, actions, responsables and roles. And then we start the project that undoubtedly will be the winer.A process that raises the early stages: What goals does the client have? What to expect from us and what can others offer ? How to surprise and offer something not expected? What are the dificulties that we will find ?, etc. In conclusion, the first brainstorming objectives.And then … then the talent that involvs every Always project and obviously,like the good magicians if you wanna know the trick you have to come see the show.
BRANDED CONTENT & TECHNOLOGY, THE EQUATION FOR SUCCESS
BRANDED CONTENT & TECHNOLOGY, THE EQUATION FOR SUCCESS
Technology as a solution to content marketing
So, what does this Iberdrola Green Runners Experience consists, that generates so many solutions to our client?
As we were creating an experience, the user could not be only a spectator or we couldn’t wait for him to decide to participate actively in the programme. We had to make sure that everyone could participate. Therefore, our starting premise was: you are going New York City to run NY City´s Marathon.
But, will our client accept this option? What happens with those that had never run before? Or those who had just started to run? Or those that they practiced sport but they didn´t dare to face this challenge?
In Always we had very clear that the best way to make everyone feel comfortable, accompanied and that they could really face the goal was to have an expert beside them. The solution was having a personal trainer who would prepare a personalised training plan according to anyone’s level.
This is a logical situation, but it didn´t solve completely the need. Iberdrola has their internal clients all over the world, so we needed to be conscious about the impossibility of providing a personal trainer for each of them. However, it was unavoidable that the premise was to “personalise the offer” and we had to do it for many people.
Technology completed the process and eased the solution.
We created our own application that could be used from a computer, smartphone or tablet, in which the trainer and users could connect whenever they wanted and without schedule problems.
An application where the user could download the training plans, chat with the coach, inform of news, provide ideas and solutions…
But, also it should be useful and easy to use. Therefore the application synchronized the users cell phone with a heart rate monitor and with one of the most popular runners application, enabling them to upload their results from the smartphone with just one click.
Thereby, Iberdrola offers an experience with their clients, with content generation, technologically adapted to the project needs and that allows to provide value to the users.
TRAINING EXPERIENCE, ONE DAY TO GROW AND BELIEVE
ACTIVATION PLANS
Training Experience, devirtualising as a method to activate and generate synergies.
Devirtualization is a term used in Social Networks to name when people meet outside their online world to get to know each other, either with a meeting, a congress, a forum or something similar.
In Iberdrola Green Runners we were conscious we had to “devirtualise” our runners, because, after 6 months of online hard work, we had to move them to an offline environment. With this objective we designed Iberdrola’s Training Experience Day, a step further in the Branded Content Program Always Group designed for Iberdrola.
A program that would allow a technical – sports day with the trainer, our runners to share a technical and sports day with our Trainer, but completely different to a “purely formal meeting” normally designed to meet each other and chat a bit. This event would be a final trial before the main goal, running NYC Marathon, that would be held in less than two months from that date.
Our personal trainer had a surprise for them. During the whole event (one day in Bilbao and another in Madrid), our runners had to face the toughest workout in 6 months of training: a circuit prepared by our trainer that would take all of them to their limits.
It was an exigent and selective circuit, equivalent to running 21km based on stages that combined technique, strength and speed and that made them work and sweat as much as they could.
They worked their strength through muscular work (proprioception, mix of jumps, one leg squats, pushups…)
Technique workouts were based on the correct way of running (strides, using arms, etc.). We prepared an Effort Measurement and a Cognitive Test (consisting on the repetition of efforts and maintaining and varying efforts) and Speed was also tested, with active resting in each stage.
This was a huge effort for them, that would enable us to see “in situ” the evolution of the athletes after 6 months of hard training sessions and be aware of the point each of them were and adapt their program and routines for the big date: New York City Marathon, that would be run on November 2nd.
Demanding, tough but motivating where some of the adjectives used by runners to describe their feeling on the workout days, an experience that made them grow and believe in themselves, not only as athletes but as individuals.
This was the last stop previous to New York City’s Marathon. A great sport and personal challenge for our guests, that, thanks to the Branded Content Program Iberdrola Green Runners, it would be faced with a superb preparation and motivation. New York City Marathon would become one of the most beautiful days of their life as runners.
IBERDROLA MARATHON EXPERIENCE, HOW TO CREATE A BRANDED EXPERIENCE WITH THE USER
BRANDED CONTENT: CONVINCE TO WIN
An experience with valuable content to create a long term client loyalty.
What happens in Always when a client entrusts us the responsibility of developing a project? The project presented by Iberdrola was about a recognition project for some of their internal clients, consisting in running New York´s Marathon.
Once presented, in Always we thought: how we can we surpass our client’s expectations? And how to do it in an attractive and effective way, adding value and being profitable?
First of all we asked ourselves: why New York? Is this Marathon important or it is only because of the city’s symbolism?
Also we thought about Iberdrola´s client. Are they all runners? What happens with the non-runners? Who will participate?
And, finally, we approached the project´s target. Which message Iberdrola wants to send their clients? Will the project add value or will it be difficult to do so? Why taking them to New York? How to make them take an active part in the programme?
In Always we decided to transform the project into a BRANDED CONTENT EXPERIENCE that included…
…An ad hoc experience for the user
…Using custom –made technological solutions
…Generating loyalty branded content with their target
…Whose idea should be based in marketing solutions
…Allowing an internal corporative communication action
And, also, that the whole project breathes a special intangible: MAKE OUR CLIENT’S CLIENTS ENJOY
A project becomes an experience and this experience generates solutions, generating a branding return and loyalty with a 100% of success.
- 100% of invitations covered in the programme
- 100% of participation of users in the programme
- 100% of technical and training goals accomplished
- 100% of the participants finished the Marathon (90% of them never participated in a Marathon)
- 100% of them reached or beat their expected time
