Denver,
USA -- It's challenging to gain the attention of busy business
professionals, even when you have an intelligent enterprise
technology that could revolutionize their business. That's why SAP
(NYSE: SAP) recently launched a nine-part fantasy podcast series,
co-produced by Column Five Media. Searching
for Salaì is as an entertaining approach to
educate executive listeners and entice them to learn more about SAP
Leonardo®, SAP's extensible, intelligent cloud computing
environment. To tie the dramatic podcast back to real-world Leonardo
applications, SAP engaged Smash Marketing to design and deploy the
Searching for Salai website.
Searching
for Salaì is a fictional tale about a time traveler who comes to the
21st century to learn about the digital renaissance. Claiming to be
an apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci, the mysterious Salaì explores
new ideas driving digital innovation, seeking the spiritual link
between the science of Leonardo's era and the technology of today.
Taking its format from old-fashioned radio mysteries, Searching for
Salaì is pure entertainment that invites the listener to ponder
possibilities and seek their own path to embrace the Digital
Renaissance, and learn more about SAP Leonardo including use cases
through the website.
"This
is a brilliant, innovative marketing campaign designed to engage
professionals in a different way and invite them to explore new
ideas," said Leila Ahmed, co-founder of Smash Marketing. "The
podcast captures the listener's attention, but you still need to tie
the idea of the Digital Renaissance to real-world applications. We
designed the Searching for Salaì website as the bridge between the
story and real-world applications."
Although
produced by SAP and Column Five, Searching for Salaì never mentions
either company. It does, however, invite listeners to learn more
about what they hear in the story at http://searchingforsalai.com.
The website that supports the podcast includes reports in written and
audio format developed by Futurum Research that profile SAP Leonardo
use cases and customer successes in 15 separate industries. The
website also includes blog entries and other content to complement
the podcasts.
Subscribers
have already shared positive reviews of the podcast series:
"Such
a clever way to introduce people to digital transformation."
"I'm
kinda hooked. It's probably because I'm a huge history geek; a fan of
mystery stuff."
"Da
Vinci must have been awesome to be around."
"I
don't really take the time to subscribe to podcasts; this one,
however...I so look forward to the next episode!"
"We
were seeking a way to humanize the SAP brand and tell a story that
would connect with customers on a visceral level," said Ginger
Shimp, Senior Marketing Director at SAP. "We chose Smash
Marketing to help us with the online strategy because we knew they
could deliver a web experience that would support the emotional
response while providing the connection to the SAP Leonardo
platform."
"We
wanted to engage on a different level to dramatize how technology can
impact people's lives, without the buzzwords. Searching for Salaì is
our way to stimulate new thinking about digital information and
transformation with something new and unexpected that promotes real
interest and conversation. We see this as a breakthrough in brand
marketing," added Jeff Janiszewski, Marketing Director at SAP.
The
podcast medium has been around since the first Apple iPod, and
Americans continue to consume more audio. According to Edison
Research, Americans spend four hours a day listening to audio.
Forty-four percent of Americans listen to podcasts,
and 64 percent use their smartphone or tablet to listen on the go.
One in four of those surveyed say they have listened to a podcast in
the last month, and weekly listeners consume an average of five
podcasts per week.
Searching
for Salaì is available to subscribers through the website, through
Apple iTunes, or from any outlet where listeners access their
podcasts.
For
more information about Searching for Salaì including a podcast
archive, visit http://searchingforsalai.com,
or see the preview.
SAP
Leonardo powers the Intelligent Enterprise, with intelligent
technologies, services, and expertise to optimize processes and
resources. SAP Leonardo harnesses a design thinking methodology and
SAP expertise to ignite innovation and help you rapidly adopt new
capabilities and business models.
To
learn more about SAP, visit
http://www.sap.com/products/intelligent-enterprise.html.
To
learn more about Column Five, visit http://www.columnfivemedia.com.
About
Smash Marketing
Smash
Marketing is a full-service marketing agency, developing and
executing end-to-end programs that encompass building awareness,
strategy and planning, content development, demand generation, and
marketing and sales support. Co-founded by Leila Ahmed and Cristy
Gonzalez, both experienced marketers having worked for Fortune 500
companies, Smash Marketing is the "Goldilocks Agency,"
developing and delivering marketing solutions that are "just
right" for their clients.
For
more information, visit http://www.smashmarketing.com.
Media
Contact:
Leila
Ahmed
Smash
Marketing, LLC
303-741-2020
