Check this out…

http://youcantbuythat.com/2009/02/09/pondering-…

That’s a very interesting article. I’m new to Zooppa, but already, I find myself looking for another creative community.

I understand the dogma of “people-powered brand energy,” but effective branding and advertising does need to resonate with the target market. This requires research, brainstorming and a bit of elbow grease. There are tons of brilliant people in this community, but sometimes we come across work that is irreverent for the sake of being random/funny. Said work also is way off of the creative brief.

Sometimes, that kind of work makes it to the top 10 of categories. That is frustrating.

I understand that an individual or small team/studio doesn’t have the money to hold market research or anything, but they can at least try. I mean, we all have access to the internet. That’s at least a start. In my opinion, if you’re creating branded material that doesn’t fit with the client you’re trying to satisfy, it’s self-promoting masturbation.

There’s a reason why a brief is there, but considering how much ass-kissing there is on Zooppa, I don’t see why the client brief is even relevant.

So, I agree with the blog entry in regards to the creative work not being relevant to target markets. It’s cool to create branded content, but if it doesn’t speak to anyone, it’s kind of worthless.

Pixelthis, did you notice that it’s your Jones GABA ad that is highlighted as “cool work” by Kirk Mastin of Zooppa!!!

I am really coming to understand Alemeux and yourself on the anti-spam and other issues here. It is we, the people, who will decide what we will put up with. We can ask ourselves and others to put forward our best and bring out the best in each other.

Peace & Joy,
RG

Quote:

That’s a very interesting article. I’m new to Zooppa, but already, I find myself looking for another creative community.

I understand the dogma of “people-powered brand energy,” but effective branding and advertising does need to resonate with the target market. This requires research, brainstorming and a bit of elbow grease. There are tons of brilliant people in this community, but sometimes we come across work that is irreverent for the sake of being random/funny. Said work also is way off of the creative brief.

Sometimes, that kind of work makes it to the top 10 of categories. That is frustrating.

I understand that an individual or small team/studio doesn’t have the money to hold market research or anything, but they can at least try. I mean, we all have access to the internet. That’s at least a start. In my opinion, if you’re creating branded material that doesn’t fit with the client you’re trying to satisfy, it’s self-promoting masturbation.

There’s a reason why a brief is there, but considering how much ass-kissing there is on Zooppa, I don’t see why the client brief is even relevant.

So, I agree with the blog entry in regards to the creative work not being relevant to target markets. It’s cool to create branded content, but if it doesn’t speak to anyone, it’s kind of worthless.

Ya, it’s just an opinion.. I put up some remarks on there, but I think it’s still waiting “administrator approval”… I agree and disagree.. here.. this is what I wrote in the blog..

Quote:

Hi, My name is Jon (owner of Pixel This Video Productions and alias “pixelthis” on Zooppa.com). I created that Jones GABA ad that Kirk was nice enough to use as an example of “cool” work.

I have been a member of Zooppa since late 2008. Speaking from experience, there is some amazing work that comes from that site. Most of the participants are hobbyists, however there is certainly a professional draw to the site as well. Some ad’s are great, some are okay, and some are awful.

Regardless, I wholeheartedly disagree with your end-result hypothesis of “off-brand, inauthentic and ineffective.”

Zooppa, the members, and the contests themselves, aren’t aimed at recreating or emulating anything… WE MAKE THE BRAND. Most campaigns are aimed at empowering the consumers to re-brand and help shape a new image for the client.

This is as authentic as it gets. Zooppa isn’t the first site to host UGC and spec-work – sites like PopTent and it’s older version XLNTads, have a solid platform for fostering unique creativity. Zooppa’s powerful stance however comes from the community. “People Powered Brand Energy” is no understatement. The community is actively involved in not only choosing the best ads, but also improving and giving feedback.

Ineffective? Hardly. Spend more than 15 minutes on Zooppa and you’ll find some real gems. Ad’s that are absolutely astounding – 110% to brief and awe-inspiring.

In regard to “Spec-work,” I agree and disagree. Spec work is a dangerous business practice. Creating something w/ the off-chance-hope of profiting marginally is not a way to the Fortune-500 list. That goes without saying. However, it’s perfect for people caught in a sort of catch-22. College grad’s with loads of talent, but no experience to get a job. Kirk is absolutely correct, this gives people a chance to create ads for big-name companies. Nike, Mini, Jones Soda, I Love Italian Shoes, Google… All clients of Zooppa. Another down-side of “spec-work” is the absence of a solid relationship between the creator and client. In Zooppa’s defense, they do a pretty darn good job filling that void. Creators are given a brief (sometimes a fairly extensive one) that details the clients needs and goals. All of the important questions are covered; target audience, image, message, tone, pacing, ad duration, topic, etc.etc.

Zooppa and sites like it aren’t going away. They fulfill a need. They have niche. Some companies, like Jones Soda Co. for instance, rarely advertise conventionally – and they are proud of it! Other companies may not have hundreds of thousands budgeted for 1 great ad. So instead, they come to Zooppa – they get 50 “eh” ads, 40 Good ads, and 10 Great ads…

I’m glad to see that you are interested in Zooppa. It’s definitely a lot of fun to be a member and contribute. For me, it’s a really neat hobby that allows me to go guerrilla with absolutely no budget and make something creative – and maybe earn some money while I’m at it.

Check out some of these AMAZING ads.

http://www.zooppa.com/ads/jones-redefined/video…

http://www.zooppa.com/ads/jones-redefined/video…

http://www.zooppa.com/ads/jones-gaba/videos/gab…

:) Thanks,
- jon

Quote:

Pixelthis, did you notice that it’s your Jones GABA ad that is highlighted as “cool work” by Kirk Mastin of Zooppa!!!

I am really coming to understand Alemeux and yourself on the anti-spam and other issues here. It is we, the people, who will decide what we will put up with. We can ask ourselves and others to put forward our best and bring out the best in each other.

Peace & Joy,
RG

Oh ya, I noticed.. : ) I mean… I dont’ want to confuse anyone… Yes, there are several people that are concerned with the operation and well-being of Zooppa.. but as far as I’m concerned, I enjoy the site and I’m happy to be a member… I think they have a great philosophy and purpose — the execution is what needs a little work…
.
I’m confident we WILL bring out the best in each other. As many Zooppa Staffers have said repeatedly, " the site is in the BETA stages." Granted BETA is a lame excuse, we will have to endure these growing pains…