©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
BRANDS WHO STALK
A quick riff on brands who become obsessed with being like their target.
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
There are funny in society that make
normally unacceptable things acceptable.
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
I can punch you in the face and ignore you when you talk to me.
while boxing
on instant messenger
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
Our morals, behaviors and norms don’t always
travel intact between environments.
We have some weird standards in marketing
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
I can stalk your online profiles and talk
to you when you want to be ignored.
Dear consumer,
Brand, xoxo
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
To unsubscribe to these letters, please like me on Facebook.
Why do brands think it’s so acceptable to stalk people?
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. 7
We’re collecting data not stalking. We’re a
data driven company who wants to add
value to our customer’s lives.
Hey man!
Brand, xoxo
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
But, why do you need to know how I eat my breakfast?
Please fill out our survey on ‘stalking’ for a chance to enter our sweep-stakes.
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
Insights allow us to design things you like.
Dude,
Brand, xoxo
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
Share this letter with your friends.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
You mean, like Xzibit?
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
Thank you for registering your interest in
cars and music artist Xzibit.
Participant,
Brand, xoxo
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
Vroom, vroom we love cars, do you?
Man, that’s so creepy.
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
It’s very easy to become sycophantic, opportunistic,
and disingenuous with our campaigns.
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
Remember, consumers don’t judge authenticity based
on actual behavior but, rather, the intention behind it.
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
For example, most people think
stealing is moral if it’s to feed a
starving family.
EVERYBODY LOVES ALADDIN, RIGHT?
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
Typically, a brand’s intention is to be like their
customers. But, that’s invasive.
Stop saying what you think your customers want to hear.
Let’s create a new standard
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
It’s acceptable to disagree with your target. It’s
ok to have an intrinsically defined identity and
to create things you like.
OUR NEW IMPERATIVE
A brand should try their best to occupy the
same world as their target and interpret that
world in a unique, useful way.
BUT
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
OUR NEW OUTLOOK
Knowing everything about a target doesn’t
mean you’ll resonate with them.
You can only know so much about someone
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
One of the great unsettling revelations of
the digital age may be that we are not
snowflakes, that humanity comes in just a
few hundred models.
“
AARON DIGNAN
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
A CHALLENGE
What portion of our budget can we take away
from stalking and devote to self discovery?
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
It’s about becoming a brand that people want to stalk
instead of the other way around.
©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY.
@alexanderchung
alexanderchung.posterous.com
BRANDS WHO STALK
Thanks!

Brands who stalk

  • 1.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com BRANDS WHO STALK A quick riff on brands who become obsessed with being like their target.
  • 2.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com There are funny in society that make normally unacceptable things acceptable.
  • 3.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com I can punch you in the face and ignore you when you talk to me. while boxing on instant messenger
  • 4.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com Our morals, behaviors and norms don’t always travel intact between environments. We have some weird standards in marketing
  • 5.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com I can stalk your online profiles and talk to you when you want to be ignored. Dear consumer, Brand, xoxo
  • 6.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com To unsubscribe to these letters, please like me on Facebook. Why do brands think it’s so acceptable to stalk people?
  • 7.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. 7 We’re collecting data not stalking. We’re a data driven company who wants to add value to our customer’s lives. Hey man! Brand, xoxo
  • 8.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com But, why do you need to know how I eat my breakfast? Please fill out our survey on ‘stalking’ for a chance to enter our sweep-stakes.
  • 9.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com Insights allow us to design things you like. Dude, Brand, xoxo
  • 10.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. Share this letter with your friends. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com You mean, like Xzibit?
  • 11.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com
  • 12.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com Thank you for registering your interest in cars and music artist Xzibit. Participant, Brand, xoxo
  • 13.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com Vroom, vroom we love cars, do you? Man, that’s so creepy.
  • 14.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com It’s very easy to become sycophantic, opportunistic, and disingenuous with our campaigns.
  • 15.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com Remember, consumers don’t judge authenticity based on actual behavior but, rather, the intention behind it.
  • 16.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com For example, most people think stealing is moral if it’s to feed a starving family. EVERYBODY LOVES ALADDIN, RIGHT?
  • 17.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com Typically, a brand’s intention is to be like their customers. But, that’s invasive. Stop saying what you think your customers want to hear. Let’s create a new standard
  • 18.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com It’s acceptable to disagree with your target. It’s ok to have an intrinsically defined identity and to create things you like. OUR NEW IMPERATIVE A brand should try their best to occupy the same world as their target and interpret that world in a unique, useful way. BUT
  • 19.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com OUR NEW OUTLOOK Knowing everything about a target doesn’t mean you’ll resonate with them. You can only know so much about someone
  • 20.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com One of the great unsettling revelations of the digital age may be that we are not snowflakes, that humanity comes in just a few hundred models. “ AARON DIGNAN
  • 21.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com A CHALLENGE What portion of our budget can we take away from stalking and devote to self discovery?
  • 22.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com It’s about becoming a brand that people want to stalk instead of the other way around.
  • 23.
    ©2009 UNDERCURRENT GLOBAL.CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. @alexanderchung alexanderchung.posterous.com BRANDS WHO STALK Thanks!