Some surprising companies are trying the approach. Singapore Electric, the Lion City's local power utility, uses data from the local power grid to offer consumers an online locator map for public buildings. Other advertisers are resorting to entertainment and games to provide the context for contextual marketing. OgilvyInteractive created an online jigsaw puzzle for World Wide Fund for Nature Indonesia. Players are given 60 seconds to put a puzzle of the earth together, but find out at the end that it's impossible.
Users can then click for more information, donate online or e-mail the game to friends.
EMI Music Asia's Vanessa-Mae campaign is an effort to mix the Internet with conventional print ads and other promotions. To register, participants had to surrender their names, e-mail addresses, ages and other details. Last year, Microsoft Net portal MSN ran a Hong Kong promotion with Maxwell House coffee and Theme clothing stores in which free mugs with Maxwell House single-serve coffee packs were given away to consumers. The mugs carried a message directing users to a special MSN site, where they could play games and enter a contest. Winners picked up prizes at Theme stores, increasing traffic to the shops.