The article talks about the HardHat journey so far, as well as the challenges and opportunities that await those who jump straight in to the deep end. Be sure to check it out here.

With the international quasi-holiday of love almost upon us, we’ve been working hard with the guys at Leggo’s and BWM to make sure this year’s Valentine’s Day is extra special.

We’ve secured the services of one of Australia’s most talented, handsome (and if you believe the talk around the water cooler, “totally dreamy”) crooners to write free, personalised love songs for all. All you need to do is jump on the Leggo’s Facebook page, answer a couple of quick questions to get him started, and then sit back, relax, and know that you’ve got Valentine’s Day covered.

On Feb 14, your free, personalised love song will arrive in your inbox, ready for you to share with your better half.

What are you waiting for? It only takes a minute and will definitely be better received than exotic soaps, scented candles or a box of chockies from the servo. Get started.

But that was before Groupon, Cudo, Living Social and the rest of their deal-a-day cronies came to town, bringing an onslaught of ‘hand picked special offer’ emails with them. The average Australian is now waking up to more emails than they could ever hope to read, let alone action. By the time we’ve poured our morning cuppa, most of us have already ignored/deleted a dozen of them touting cut-price pedicures, two for one laser hair removal, $12 teeth whitening and all you can eat Nepalese food.

Logic dictates that the more emails we receive, the less attention we can give to each. Like so many mediums that have come before it, email is now cluttered beyond recognition.

But it’s not completely over. Switched on marketers can retain email as one of the sharpest, most effective tools in their arsenal - though it’s tougher than ever. Quality will always prevail, and the pointers below will help ensure that the daily deal posse don’t completely screw it up for the rest of us:

1. Subject lines: The good news is, if you screw this up you’ve got nothing else to worry about. A subject line needs the same degree of attention and expertise you’d give the headline in a print ad- after all, they serve the same purpose. Call the value out up front, include calls to action and test, test, test.

2. Content: Being helpful is always a winning formula. Include different sorts of content at the start, and then track what recipients are actually interacting with. Add more of the popular stuff, remove the bits nobody cares about, and watch your interaction levels (and ROI) skyrocket.

3. Eyes on what’s next: Social media can hardly be considered ‘next’, with brands already clamouring over each other to ask fans about their new year’s resolutions, tips for cooking on a budget and who’s going to win the Grand Final. But with half of the world’s population on Facebook, there’s still plenty of room for brands to interact, engage and transact with consumers in this exciting, ever changing environment.

Until people realise that daily deals sites are an annoying, non-sustainable fad, the eDM zealots among us have certainly got our work cut out. In the mean time, we know that our inboxes will continue to be pummeled, and we need to keep one eye on the new opportunities turning up every day to keep our brands relevant.

*Update. This post was featured on Mumbrella on Wednesday and appears to have ruffled a few feathers. Check it out (and all the comments) here: http://mumbrella.com.au/hey-groupon-thanks-for-fucking-up-email-72101

Leggo’s have been ahead of the game for over 100 years - these are the guys who taught Aussie families how to cook Italian when meat in a can was considered exotic! The brand has so much to share with consumers in terms of expertise, recipes and heritage, and we’re excited to be helping to bring this to consumers in a way that only Digital can. Stay tuned!

What we’re looking for:

Our agency is looking for an ambitious account manager. Someone who’s polished, a natural communicator and experienced at balancing multiple projects.

They have a solid understanding of the media mix, a passion for all things digital, and are convinced of the leading role that it can play.

They’ve spent time in an ad agency and are excited about the opportunity to step things up and punch above their weight.

To be considered for this role, you must have:

Talent - You’re born to suit. You’re organised, articulate and confident. You love your clients and make a point of understanding their aspirations, their consumers and their competitors. You manage the way their projects come in to the agency, and take responsibility for the work that goes out.
Experience - You’ve spent at least a year working in an agency. Contact reports, client WIPs and creative briefs are all disciples you know and love.
Old fashioned values - You value honesty, integrity and transparency. These things define our work, our agency and our relationships. We don’t employ egos or assholes no matter how talented or experienced they are.
Courage - Exceptional growth doesn’t happen by accident. Without a doubt, this will be the most challenging role of your career so far. If you’re honest with yourself and are truly up for the challenge, it will also be the most rewarding. Fortune favours the brave.

Other things you should know:

We’re an agency on the cusp of going big time which means 2012 is going to be huge! We focus 100% of our efforts on Digital, helping clients make the most of this exciting new media. We’re approaching 20 staff, and every person you’ll work with is exceptional at what they do. As a group, we’re committed to creating the best user experiences possible. It’s hard work but extremely rewarding. Most days it’s also a lot of fun.

Our agency structure is unique. We don’t have departments. Everybody meets with clients.

We work with some incredible brands including Crown Casino, Chadstone, Tupperware, Aeroplane Jelly, Leggo’s and Little Creatures.

We’re offering a highly competitive package including a self directed training budget, an excellent working environment and the opportunity to be part of something special.

How to apply:

If you think you’ve got what it takes, please submit a short CV (maximum three pages) using this form.

Only short listed applicants will be contacted.

Recruiters, thanks for your interest but we’ve got it from here (please don’t call).

We didn’t make either, but boy did we work out how to smush ‘em together.

We’ve just launched a new site for Little Creatures, designed especially for people with fancy phones.

Just visit the site from your internet enabled telephony device (www.littlecreatures.com.au) and enjoy browsing for nearby bars and bottle-o’s stocking any of the fine products in the Little Creatures family.

You can also search by suburb, postcode or the specific tipple you’re after, as well as check out the their awesome venues, explore the range and sign up to be a Hophead.

We’re looking for a creative lead. Someone who understands strategic goals and knows how to bring them to life by creating best practice user experiences.

They know that designing for digital has evolved way beyond banner ads and microsites. They comprehend the potential of being able to educate, entertain and inspire consumers in a way that’s never been done before.

They develop concepts and set design direction. They oversee projects from pre-pitch to go live and beyond. They’re excited about shaping a creative team, an agency and an industry.

To be considered for this role, you must have:

Talent - You’re an incredible interactive designer. You understand information architecture, user experience and the intricacies of grid systems and other best practice techniques.
Experience - Your folio is packed with showpieces for top tier clients. You feel at home developing concepts, presenting work, managing a team and mentoring juniors.
Old fashioned values - You value honesty, integrity and transparency. These things define our work, our agency and our relationships. We don’t employ egos or assholes no matter how talented or experienced they are.
Courage - Exceptional growth doesn’t happen by accident. Without a doubt, this will be the most challenging role of your career so far. If you’re honest with yourself and are truly up for the challenge, it will also be the most rewarding. Fortune favours the brave.

Other things you should know:

We’re an agency on the cusp of going big time. We focus 100% of our efforts on Digital, helping clients make the most of this exciting new media. We’re approaching 20 staff, and every person you’ll work with is exceptional at what they do. As a group, we’re committed to creating the best user experiences possible. It’s hard work but extremely rewarding. Most days it’s also a lot of fun.

Our agency structure is unique. We don’t have departments. Everybody meets with clients.

We work with some incredible brands including Crown, Chadstone, Tupperware, Aeroplane Jelly, Kogan and Little Creatures.

We’re offering a highly competitive package including a self directed training budget, an excellent working environment and the opportunity to be part of something special.

How to apply:

If you think you’ve got what it takes, please email or tweet a link to your CV/folio to @hardhatdigital.

Only short listed applicants will be contacted.

Recruiters, thanks for your interest but we’ve got it from here (please don’t call).

So for brands with diverse marketing objectives and a baffling array of options, it can be tough to find a context or framework for making decisions about what goes where.

Interestingly, St Elmos Lewis’ Purchase Funnel model, originally developed in 1898 is a great place to start (figure 1). Sure, it needs a little freshening up for today (figure 2) but it’s in pretty good shape for a 113 year old.

For those unfamiliar or a little rusty on text book marketing theories, the purchase funnel outlines the key steps in a consumer’s journey from blissful ignorance to blissful consumption. It’s shaped like a funnel because it’s expected that people will drop out along the way.

Everything starts with awareness. People don’t buy things they don’t know about. And while PR, influential bloggers and experiential activities are all well and good, nothing builds mass awareness quite like interrupting a TV show and singing/shouting at people for 30 seconds or so, preferably at regular intervals. See, for most brands, awareness is a numbers game, and while millions of people are still tuning in to MasterChef, Oprah re-runs and the nightly news, it makes perfectly good sense to use these opportunities for growing the number of people that know about your brand.

TVCs, as well as striking outdoor executions and well placed print ads can also do a good job of positioning brands, communicating USPs and ushering prospective consumers through the early ‘opinion’ stage of the process. But as we enter the ‘closer to purchase’ parts of the funnel, shoppers are looking for information, education, validation and opinion - and this is where Digital really comes to the party.

Instead of being constrained to a half page, 30 seconds or a single billboard, Digital exists in an infinite, boundless environment. This means that brands can answer lots of questions in lots of ways, and appeal to lots of consumers with lots of (different) needs.

Take buying a new car as an example. To move from awareness to purchase, some shoppers will build preference with data on safety, performance, resale value or environmental credentials. Others will seek out validation in the form of peer or professional reviews. The analytically inclined will be hunting for hard facts, short copy, diagrams and tables. Emotionally geared consumers will respond better to storytelling, long copy, videos and photo galleries - and all this before even setting foot in to a dealership. It’d be an impressive print ad that checked all these boxes.

As we move further down the funnel we’re approaching ‘digital only’ territory. Sure, traditional media facilitates purchasing through direct response ads and mail order catalogues, but lets be serious. It’s 2011 and online is where the shopping dollar is at. We’re also seeing an explosion of products and services that are consumed entirely through the digital channel. YouTube, Gmail, internet banking, car insurance, software and mobile apps are just the tip of the iceberg.

Finally, the after sales support and repeat purchase stages are where Digital can really help brands to shine. Social media channels are the new customer service hotlines, and brands that haven’t turned up here to help their consumers are no doubt being lambasted by them. Impressively, Australian telcos have been quick to embrace a ’social media as support’ strategy, as have the most successful traditional and contemporary retailers including ASOS, Kogan, Myer and Sportsgirl.

Options bring complexity, and in 2011 marketers have more options than ever. As we dive head first in to a brave new world, the best brands and agencies will be the ones that work out how the Digital and traditional pieces fit together. From what we know already, traditional is still a great way to spike interest and awareness, opening the gates for Digital to fatten the funnel and keep customers for life.

After so many false starts, what makes me so sure? Three things have tipped it for me.

1. We’re seeing almost 10% of visitors to client websites coming from smartphones and iPads. That’s 1 in 10 baby! This wouldn’t be so surprising in categories like travel, banking or anywhere else where we’ve been conditioned to transact on the go, but we’re seeing it across the board. Shopping centres, food brands, professional services, you name it.

2. Choice in the market. The number of ’smartphone’ options available to consumers has exploded over the last 12 months, not to mention the burgeoning ‘mobile app’ market, now 700,000 apps strong. There’s no question that Apple changed the world with the launch of the iPhone and app store in 2008, but now Google, HTC, Nokia, Windows, Dell, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, Blackberry and Motorola are all clamoring for a piece of the hardware or software pie. For consumers, the smartphone decision has moved from ‘will I or wont I?’ to ‘which one?’.

3. My mum sends me emails from her iPhone.

Knowing that it’s here is well and good, but what does this mean for marketers?

For starters, mobile visitors can’t be ignored. If you knew that 1 in 10 people coming to your website was from Korea, you’d get some Korean friendly content up there quick smart. The same logic must apply to mobile visitors. This rapidly growing group are people busily going about their day to day lives, turning to your brand with a question or two. What are you doing to help give them the answers they need?

At a minimum, brands need to ensure that their sites are accessible on popular mobile devices. Put simply, this means no flash, simple navigation and making all content accessible from a touch screen device. If you haven’t already tried visiting your company website (and some of your competitors) on at least a couple of different phones this would be a good time to do so.

Your website stats will tell you what content mobile visitors are looking at. If there’s consistency and logic to their visits, now is the time to develop a mobile version of your site that can automatically be ’served up’ to visitors on smartphones. There are already some great examples of mobile sites in the marketplace from the likes of Qantas and iiNet. The best mobile sites are cut down versions of regular sites, designed to push mobile relevant content like opening hours and store locations to centre stage. Invariably, there’s a link back to the brand’s full site in case visitors are looking for more information or a ‘full experience’.

Google Places is another no brainer. Chances are, people on mobile devices are looking for services within an area (eg ‘chemist in Bundoora’) or for contact details of a specific business (eg ‘Found Cafe, Chapel Street’). It’s also more than likely that they’re using Google or Google Maps to do it.

Google Places is a service that lets you register your business to be listed on Google and Google Maps. In addition to basic details like locations and contact details, you can add descriptions, photos, opening hours, reviews, a link to your website and all sorts of other handy info for people on the go. Google Places is quick to set up, free to register and free to use so there’s really no excuse.

Whichever way you look at it, the flood of consumers browsing on the go presents huge opportunities for brands that are willing to sit up and take notice. Whether it’s a redesign with mobile in mind, developing a dedicated app or doing more to get found online, now is the time to act.

Remember, you may be light years ahead of your competitors, but its your customers you need to keep up with!

If we’re not adding numbers to the end of things that already exist (web 4.0, mobile 3.0, social 6.0) we’re compiling lists of things we can make. You know; websites, banner ads, eDMs, social media stuff, iPhone apps, online videos. The list goes on and on.

And then, just when you think you’ve covered everything, someone calls up and asks why you don’t do augmented reality, or expandable banners or any one of the thousand other things you now realise you’ve left off your list. To make matters worse, even if you did manage to get everything on there today, it’s pretty much guaranteed that something will be missing by the time you wake up tomorrow.

Clearly, this is no way to build an industry.

Instead, we need to look at defining Digital as a series of attributes. A list of traits that embody all of the good stuff that brands have been promised for over a decade.

The four questions below are how our agency seeks to identify these attributes and separate the wheat from the chaff. If a project gets a ‘yes’ for each of the questions below, it’s game on, and like any self respecting, digitally led agency we’re all over it. If it doesn’t, it might still be a great project but we’re not the right partner for the job. St Kilda Road is probably a better place to start.

Question 1: Is it made of pixels?
No explanation required here.

Question 2: Are people asking to see it?
Digital is the land of the opt in audience. Great work in our space is actively sought out, not begrudgingly tolerated.

We’re not interested in creating things with the objective of interrupting an experience. Why would we be when we can make things that educate, inspire and entertain?

Question 3: Will we be helping our client help their consumers?
At its best, Digital helps a brand become more useful to the people who interact with it. Providing content, utility and community are all ways that successful brands add value and improve the relationships they have with their consumers. This is what the future of advertising is all about.

Question 4: Does it sell?
David Ogilvy famously said “if it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative”. There’s no doubt in my mind that this remains truer than ever today.

Clients give us the opportunity to create fun, beautiful, interesting, clever things, but at the end of the day we’re here to build brands and move units.

If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t Digital.

These questions provide a simple way for us to distinguish the work that pushes our industry forward from that that’s holding us back.