Brand Name: Wacom
Agency/Site Creator: eROI
URL: http://www.pencollective.com/
What is unusual and effective about this website?
A lot of sites try to personalize the message, but the Pen Collective site is different -- the highly personalized stories are the messages. The site offers the opportunity to meet such people as Mark, an illustrator who prefers his pen to his girlfriend, or Alex, who will show you how she uses her pen to remove the cellulite from her sister's wedding photos. The site also allows other users to share their own story with the world and become part of the Collective.
Normally, a site about a support group is not very sexy, but this site really connects with the core Wacom product evangelists -- graphic artists, illustrators, filmmakers, 3D modelers, texture artists, photographers and other creatives. I love Tad's story, and I can see it all on one page. The video pre-loads, showing on the page without a refresh. I can see his toolbox, tips and resources, favorite links, blog discussion with comments, and I see his work and his process behind it. Tad and the eight others in the Pen Collective support group are true individuals, and we love them for their uniqueness.
How does the website fit into and complement the overall brand strategy for the company?
Wacom has a difficult challenge on its hands. Its customers hate to be sold to, so it needed to share customer stories and talents, positioning themselves as a resource, rather than a direct marketing engine. This site fits into the overall objectives of the success of building an online community from a simple but powerful idea in Wacom's first community campaign site. PowerofthePens.com generated 61,000 unique visitors and doubled December '07 online sales over projections. The goal of the Wacom Pen Collective was to get visitors to look past the product and meet the people who love the freedom Wacom's products provide its users. The Pen Collective microsite gives consumers a chance to meet some extraordinarily talented artists and see how they take advantage of Wacom's innovative graphic tablets and pens. The Pen Collective mixes tutorials, testimonials and a good dose of humor, along with a pinch of social networking. The Pen Collective site is building the momentum in anticipation of the soon-to-launch community section of Wacom's parent site.
How would you improve this website?
I'm a little biased here as we co-created the strategy, designed and developed this site, but I'll throw a couple of ideas for improvement out there. More dynamic information featuring user-generated stories, profiles, videos, work, and work behind the work would be a cool addition to the current content on the site. Wacom is using social media outlets like Facebook to reach out to the creative community, but it could take it to the next level with a greater level of online grassroots outreach. We'll likely see that with the launch of the main Wacom community site in the coming months.
Brand Name: Converse
Agency/Site Creator: Anomaly
URL: http://www.thisistheindexpage.com/
What is unusual and effective about this website?
This site connects so completely with the nostalgic high school kid in me. It's like a Will Ferrell movie where a 16-year-old jock or a 45-year-old creative can find their own experience and sense of humor in the content and the way it's executed. This site differentiates itself from all others with its full-screen videos, never-ending supply of full-screen background images upon refresh, clever URLs with the implied promise of humor and entertainment in each of the individual video vignettes within the overall campaign website. Content is king and Converse nailed it with this site. The "I'm too hot for you" attitude, voice, mannerisms of the girl in OutofYourLeagueGirl.com reminds me exactly of several girls in my year at Wootton High School in Maryland. KissingWithRoss.com is one of the most disturbing videos I've seen in a long time, but still in line with the voice and tone of the campaign site. Lastly, all of us have a friend like the nerdy guy in OutofYourLeagueGuyOnLegs.com -- his 70s style running outfit, untied Chuck Taylor shoes, and unfounded confidence with the ladies are money.
How does the website fit into and complement the overall brand strategy for the company?
Over the past couple of years, Converse has done an incredible job with getting artists, designers, athletes, tech-heads and other core customers to tell their stories online so they can connect with other customers and with the brand of Converse itself. Through voice, humor and tone, this site shows that Converse has listened to its customers and gone above and beyond expectations by absolutely "getting us," the core customers, with hundreds of stories told through funny, clever video clips, great copy or cool interactive pieces. The majority of the content does not show or even mention any Converse product. We, as web users, know it's a Converse site and we know the Converse brand well already, so I appreciate that Converse has listened and created this site for my sheer enjoyment and laughter.
How would you improve this website?
From a branding perspective, I wouldn't change anything. The site is unique, consistent, and leads to a lot of funny discoveries as you uncover what's behind each URL. As an online marketer and a direct marketer, I think Converse could make some minor but important changes without any ill effects to the user experience. The site is not optimized at all for search engines. At a minimum I'd like to see title tags, meta description and image alt tags optimized. Lastly, there is no email signup or lead capture anywhere. Even a subtle element to click through and give some info to get future updates on events or products would be helpful.
Ryan Buchanan is CEO of eROI.