Really interesting Harvard Business Review article showing how the basic premise of social networking’s value to marketing was outlined over five decades ago. The author shares how Ernest Dichter, considered a major player in motivational research in the 60′s, conducted a study about word of mouth advertising. He noted how companies should gather customer feedback, engage rather than just talk at their audience, and use dialog to move customers to buy. Sound familiar?
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I have noticed an uptick in some of the marketing forums I review, where debates about defining social media are taking main-stage. What’s interesting is how long we seem to have been talking about this “new trend”, although I would propose that this does not really qualify as a “trend” any longer; it’s part of our daily experience.
Consider it was only a few decades (and several questionable fashion trends) ago that there was no such thing as TV advertising. Today, TV advertising is not discussed as separate from marketing, it is discussed and evaluated, (along with all other promotional options), as one part in the potential marketing mix for a client. It seems time to make social media more like that.
Rather than create entire plans around only social media, or talk about it as an add-on, it would seem more beneficial to clients if we simply treat social media as one more marketing tool, evaluated for how it can help the client along with every other marketing tactic. Social media, broadcast tv and cable advertising, radio, outdoor, direct mail, e-blasts, websites, blogs, tweets, facebook, interactive, display – the list grows, the opportunities increase. The challenge is selecting what works best for clients, not just relying on the latest trend, which in the end, may very well be the right tool.
Check out this interesting write up from eMarketer, on the effects of the economy has on online couponing, and how consumers are responding to digital marketing efforts. Are the days of clipping through the Sunday circular a thing of the past?
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008414
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For most of recent memory, panic about advertisers leaving the stalwart network and cable advertising in droves to move their budgets into social media have been the ad industry’s words of warning. However, a recent article in the New York Times tells a different story of how traditional media can successfully partner with, rather than compete with, social media.
Which is how it should be, right?
Marketers ‘get’ that one tool does not make a marketing strategy, but rather, works with all the tools to get the most bang for the client’s buck. It’s good to see that even on the mega-million ad budget front, everyone is learning to play nice together!
Check out the article “TV Networks Expect A Jump In Spending On Commercials“.
A friend sent these to me and they feature European product bags. I love how these are made to just be fun, attention-getting, but also used for cause-marketing. To whomever created these – great concept!
These were the wise words from a respected boss years ago. He was speaking to the issue of improving sales, but as Omni advises clients on marketing integration WITHIN the workplace as well as outside of it, we find this maxim to hold true as a leadership goal. When leaders can keep ‘their face in the place’ and engage their team, it can reap big rewards.
A recent article in the Harvard Business Review supports this, and explains that it is not just about in-person, all-staff meetings, but reaching out in a variety of ways to help keep the connection between leadership and staff strong. Some ideas include regular emails to staff from senior team members, a leader’s blog or tweets, and just being present in the place and acknowledging the team. Maximize those marketing moments, and remember, those moments can be small but mighty!
Denny's Diner Marketing Strategy
Just saw this headline from AAF SmartBrief: “Denny’s embraces its diner image”, and I celebrated! A company that proudly markets itself for what it is, not what it wishes it could be – this is truly a marketing moment.
With the bountiful big-name coffee houses and family-friendly restaurants on every corner of the country, to have a long-standing brand come to accept their unique point of differentiation is something to behold. They are now promoting the diner experience. It’s not for everybody, but it is truly special to their core audience.
Marketing works when companies don’t try to be all things to all people. Whether you like the Denny’s brand or not, you have to give them credit for focusing in on what they do well, and being true to their unique value proposition. It would make my old marketing professor smile, which would have been a rare occurence.
Mr. Peanut is making a comeback. For those of us seasoned enough to remember the original Mr. Peanut (hey, I had a Mr. Peanut Peanut Butter maker when I was 5) this is a nice and comfortable flashback. But will the new Mr. Peanut campaign resonate with a younger crowd? The ad firm thankfully did put a gray flannel suit on him, although being au naturale in the new millenium is not really as risque as it might have been 3o years ago.
Going old-school is a risk for any advertiser as you have to walk a fine line between dull and outdated or ‘new retro’, as this is being coined now.
Let us know what you think of the new and improved Mr. Peanut – clever and intriguing, or just a desperate attempt to resurrect what was once a classic campaign icon?
Read more at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/business/media/08adco.html?src=busln
A recent article questioned whether social media is producing business leads. It has been suggested that “looking at social media services like Twitter and Facebook strictly as lead generation tools might be counter-productive, especially for companies that focus on business-to-business sales”.
At Omni, we like to refer to clients’ marketing programs as their ‘tool box’. There are many tools you can use, but just as you would not use a hammer when a screwdriver is needed, neither do all marketing tools work for all clients or all situation.
You have to determine what each tool is used for and what result you want from it. And you have to understand how the tools work – there is passive marketing and aggressive marketing. Some marketing simply creates under the radar buzz (a poster in your store’s window), some marketing efforts shout at you (TV or Radio Ads), some just want to be friends (Facebook).
Know what you want to achieve, what is possible with the media you have chosen to deliver the message, and how you want your target audience to react. But then there is that measurement issue… senior decision makers want to know if the dollars going out translate into dollars coming in to the company – ROI.
With a specific time-sensitive event, such as a clearance sale this weekend only, you can measure the effectiveness of your advertising by how many people visit your store and asking them how they heard about the sale. That is an easy way to measure, although not 100% accurate – many times it is the layering effect of multiple media channels and the one that is recalled may just have been the last one seen. Most marketers would cringe to hear the reason a customer came in was because of the giant inflatable monster at the store entrance!
But social media is different. First you have to accept social media is not a direct means to simply sell – it is designed to create a conversation and become a brand builder for your organization. It is an ideal way to show your service to customers. Ultimately, those actions will reap benefits, much like the top-notch greeter or receptionist who makes every visitor feel like royalty. Those are marketing moments you can build on that are part of the toolbox, but they are not the only tool.
Social media is not the same as traditional forms of marketing; the process for engagement and contact is different. But, it still is highly valuable in how it can develop new opportunities and new loyal customers, it just takes time.
If you use social media with the expectation of making a sale or generating a qualified direct lead, it can seem counter-productive. However, if you understand how to fold social media into a marketing toolbox and use this tool for the specific purpose of creating a connection with your customers, it will build your foundation and your brand.
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Thoughts on advertising, marketing and graphic design from Omni Communications Group in Springfield, Illinois
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