Fiddler is a Web Debugging Proxy which logs all HTTP traffic between your computer and the Internet. A little more simply put - It helps me see what click URLs the user goes through before landing at the destination. It does a lot more, but as a marketer I primarily use it for that purpose.
A quick example: An online affiliate for your company or website has cloaked their URL, has it going through multiple redirects, and eventually lands on your website. You want to determine what URLs and redirect the affiliate is going through and what cookies or IDs are being dropped. With Fiddler running you will be able to log the traffic as you click on a link. You can then go back, review the logs, and see exactly what sites and URLs your connection and computer have hit.
This program is Windows only. I’m still looking for a good alternative on a Mac. Please let me know if you have some suggestions.
So I’ve always been a huge fan of well-done TV commercials. What can I say… it’s been in my blood since I was a child. My late Uncle Jeff was the main impetus for the “Hello Milwaukee” song & campaign that took the channel 12 Milwaukee news station from the basement to the top of the local markets. As they gained steam he was also responsible for the horse race “You should see us now!” commercial. I remember sitting around the old television with my extended family during the Christmas holidays waiting for that specific time when my Uncle’s new commercial would be airing. He often enlisted his nephews and nieces to be part of the production, including yours truly. Ahhh, good memories.
But this post is about another more recent commercial. One that has skyrocketed to the top of my “all time favorite TV commercials” chart. It’s the Old Spice “I’m on a Horse” commercial and it is the recipient of my second bnetty rave award. Congratulations Old Spice! Not only have you produced a very entertaining commercial, but you’ve managed to switch my purchasing habits from bar soap to Old Spice body wash!
I remember my Dad using Old Spice as a kid, and for some time their brand felt like it wasn’t for me. It was for someone… well… older. (no offense Dad) But with their recent set of commercials they’ve managed to install a sense of newness and well… man-ness. Like the guy on the horse says “Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady!”
Anyone that knows me also knows that I’m a huge fan of woot.com. I think their business model is sound and their ability to keep things fresh and exciting speak volumes. Woot is a “one deal a day” website and one of the first that really caught my eye as well as my wallet. I’ll be honest… I have more woot t-shirts than is ever necessary! But they are always great conversation starters and really quite comfortable.
But I’m not here to rave about that (at least not today…) I’m talking about their latest marketing ploy to get users engaged and surface more of their low-price junk. (No… I’m not being mean. They even have a product called the “bag of crap” that sells for a buck. I have yet to purchase one though, as they sell out so quickly!)
One of their more recent marketing stunts (and winning a “bnetty rave” award) is the introduction of happy hour. Woot’s typical business model pushes one low-priced item a day until it is sold out. Occasionally they will also run with a “woot-off” and flow through dozens of sale items, each one retiring after they run out of inventory or it expires. But Happy Hour is a new spin. It’s just as the name explains… an hour of happiness (minus the alcohol) which includes a “woot-off” experience but only for one hour and usually later in the day.
This alone is brilliant. Catch users late in the day when they need a break and are willing to hit “refresh” a few times to see if that bag of California pistachios finally surfaces. The products rotate through, some fast some slow depending on the demand, but after one hour it’s over.
But they also added a marketing twist that I love. First off… you don’t know when happy hour will hit. It could be any day… and there is only one true way to find out. You have to follow them on twitter. As they so eloquently put it:
here’s only one way to find out: follow @woot on Twitter. We’ll be announcing Happy Hour there and only there. Yes, we’ve finally discovered a compelling reason to join Twitter. Turn up your nose at your peril. While you’re sitting in splendid isolation on Superiority Island, the more pragmatic of your fellow wooters will be feasting on deals the likes of which you can scarcely imagine.
I love it! Not only do you need to follow them on Twitter to catch wind of Happy Hour, but in order to make comments (as users usually do with woot items) users must tweet those comments to #woot. This pushes visibility to the woot brand and to their happy hour initiative. There are literally thousands of Twitter contest and campaigns, but this one is well thought out, original, and effective. Congratulations Woot.com! You are awarded the very first bnetty rave award!
