as Published in the Globe and Mail (National Edition) - August 2, 2010
The shift occurring in the area of marketing communications was on display at this year's Cannes Advertising Festival. As always, when the world comes together to compare notes on the best marketing work from across the globe, certain trends become apparent.
The winning works focused on the role of brands in consumers' lives. The best marketers and their agencies used communications to add value. From campaigns that tapped into emotional connections, to ones that enhanced the customer service experience, this year's Cannes winners were thought-provoking for marketers and agencies alike.
Give consumers something to love
Everyone has a degree of cynicism about advertising, yet many marketers persist in selling on logic rather than emotion. That's likely because logic is rational, easier and safer. If you let people know why something is good that should be enough. Emotional selling is tougher, mainly because it doesn't work unless it's authentic. Ultimately, if you get it right it pays big dividends. People really do want a reason to love your brand.
A great example from Cannes this year was the Replay campaign from Gatorade. The sports drink maker decided to reignite the athletic spark in adults older than 30, of whom only three of 10 in the U.S. exercise regularly. The Gatorade team returned to two U.S. high schools with a century-old football rivalry - Phillipsburg and Easton, N.J., and chose a tie game from 15 years earlier for the former students to replay.
The players trained at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute for two months, with documentary video clips building the story online. In April, the coaches, players, cheerleaders and school band members, together with NFL quarterbacks and Gatorade-sponsored athletes Peyton and Eli Manning, replayed the game. Regional sales of Gatorade shot up 63 per cent. Now, Gatorade has a property they are using to engage other former high school teams, and using social media has called for nominations for the 2010 Replay team.
Engage your target consumer
One of the more interesting examples came from Yellow Pages in New Zealand. Faced with increased competition from online search, Yellow Pages needed to demonstrate to advertisers why they should continue to use Yellow Pages. In a bold piece of marketing, Yellow Pages issued a challenge to create the taste of yellow to prove you can get any job done using the Yellow Pages. They cast a young New Zealander and filmed his quest to create a Yellow-tasting chocolate bar. Following his progress through TV ads and social media, New Zealanders watched the creation of the product. When the chocolate bar launched in January it became the fastest selling candy bar, outselling the market leader by two to one. Yellow Pages usage increased 9 per cent, and the campaign became the most talked about in the country. Yellow Pages took a chance on engaging people directly with their brand, rather than just selling the brand's features, and it paid off.
Find the unmet need
It feels like an obvious observation but a lot of brand communication is driven by "what's the best thing we can say about our brand?" versus "what is it that consumers really need?" A great example of directly addressing a consumer's pain-point is this year's Cannes Titanium winner - Best Buy's Twelpforce campaign. Twelpforce takes the fact that people become frustrated when they can't understand technology, and addresses it head-on. Best Buy's ad agency created Twelpforce, which leverages Best Buy's knowledgeable work force and lets customers ask questions via Twitter. Any Best Buy employee can respond immediately with answers.
If it works, build on it
Sometimes marketers and their agency partners tap into a campaign idea that ends up becoming a cultural force of its own. The Old Spice "the man your man could smell like" campaign is the most recent example. Old Spice took an unexpected creative turn by creating a story for the brand that tapped an emotional, rather than functional, insight. And, by striking a knowing, self-aware tone that broke through people's barriers and long-held expectations, Old Spice has become the most talked about brand of the moment.
The toughest challenge when you strike it right is how to follow up and continue to build engagement. The Old Spice team has done this in a masterful way by posting YouTube clips of the Old Spice actor in the shower directly answering consumer questions. These clips, as well as the Old Spice ads, have become some of the most searched viral videos.
Take advantage of buzz
Creative marketing means thinking laterally. It's about making unexpected connections that look and feel completely natural in hindsight. There are a lot of great historic examples where brands jumped on something that was getting a lot of media coverage and managed to hijack extra focus for their story.
A good example from Cannes this year was Polo mints. Last December when U.K. citizens were lamenting a blanket of fresh, white snow, Polo jumped into action and created a "Polo snow stamp" which, when stamped on benches, roadways, cars, etc., left an impression that looked exactly like the Polo mint. For a tiny budget Polo created something unexpected that felt exactly right for the brand.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
There's power in partnerships for your brand
as Published in the Globe and Mail (National Edition) - June 21, 2010
Many companies have successfully teamed with major events, social causes, high-profile entertainers and events to promote their brand.
However, just hitching your brand to a celebrity or organization isn't enough any more. Brands need to connect with partners in deeper and more meaningful ways. And, as brand owners seek ever more creative ways to stand out from the crowd, the stakes and costs of these brand associations have become bigger.
Marketers who get it right find ways to seamlessly integrate their brands with their partners' brands in ways that elevate both.
So how can marketers put these more powerful symbiotic relationships together?
A complementary partner
Bank of Nova Scotia is in the business of providing mortgages. While a mortgage is part of the equation, creating the perfect home requires more than just financing. Scotiabank saw an opportunity to capitalize on this insight and position itself as a financial institution that thinks about more than money. It teamed with Rogers Communications Inc.'s media group to launch Home Experts, a website that acts as a resource for renovating, decorating and financing advice. Rogers had the home decorating and reno content and experts to complement Scotiabank's financial know-how. Together, they were able to present a more holistic approach to home ownership.
Share a goal Consumers want to understand the full value being created by a brand partnership. They'll give your brand credit only if they are sure your commitment goes beyond providing your logo. They want to know your organization believes in what it's supporting.
Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, based in British Columbia, proved such commitment when it joined forces with the YMCA of Greater Vancouver, signing a multiyear partnership and contributing $1-million to provide financing for 69 licensed child-care and pre-school spaces in a centre bearing its name at the new Robert Lee YMCA in downtown Vancouver. The partnership links Coast Capital's financial expertise with the Y's social expertise and is an extension of the credit union's efforts to support early education and community leadership initiatives.
Ensure a DNA match
Your partner must share similar values and world views. Your target audience will instantly sense if the fit is authentic and if the partner brands are working seamlessly to deliver on the promise of the association.
American Express Co. has a long history of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, supporting thousands of non-profit groups over the years. To reignite its efforts, Amex recently linked with Take Part, an online community that provides information and resources for social activism. As a result of this partnership, called the Members Project, Amex provides its members with access to a Web-based resource that introduces them to ways to become involved in their local community, donate money or reward points to one of thousands of charities or receive reward points for volunteering. Take Part gets access to a vast premium audience looking to find ways to make a difference. Amex found a partner that enables it to more efficiently and effectively be involved in the CSR that is a core part of its brand.
It works both ways
Interestingly, it appears that corporate/not-for-profit partnerships have significant benefits for both the corporation and the not-for-profit. More than three-quarters of respondents to Boston-based, cause-marketing agency Cone Inc.'s most recent marketing trend tracker said they believe such partnerships enable the non-profit cause to stand out.
As well, 59 per cent said they are more likely to buy a product associated with the partnership, 50 per cent said they are more likely to donate to the non-profit and 41 per cent said they are more likely to volunteer for the non-profit. Corporate partners seen to be living up to a non-profit's goals and aspirations can add big value to their own brands as well as elevate awareness and interest in the cause.
It doesn't have to be serious
Partnerships don't always have to be deep, meaningful and complex. They can be as simple as picking the right endorser or spokesperson. If your brand is fun, make your partnership fun, too. Mars Inc. did that when it featured former Golden Girls star Betty White playing touch football in the ad for its Snickers chocolate bars during its big-budget Super Bowl campaign, playing off a shared sense of irreverence. Snickers is a fun brand that provides moments of pleasure; taking itself too seriously would have been the wrong approach.
Many companies have successfully teamed with major events, social causes, high-profile entertainers and events to promote their brand.
However, just hitching your brand to a celebrity or organization isn't enough any more. Brands need to connect with partners in deeper and more meaningful ways. And, as brand owners seek ever more creative ways to stand out from the crowd, the stakes and costs of these brand associations have become bigger.
Marketers who get it right find ways to seamlessly integrate their brands with their partners' brands in ways that elevate both.
So how can marketers put these more powerful symbiotic relationships together?
A complementary partner
Bank of Nova Scotia is in the business of providing mortgages. While a mortgage is part of the equation, creating the perfect home requires more than just financing. Scotiabank saw an opportunity to capitalize on this insight and position itself as a financial institution that thinks about more than money. It teamed with Rogers Communications Inc.'s media group to launch Home Experts, a website that acts as a resource for renovating, decorating and financing advice. Rogers had the home decorating and reno content and experts to complement Scotiabank's financial know-how. Together, they were able to present a more holistic approach to home ownership.
Share a goal Consumers want to understand the full value being created by a brand partnership. They'll give your brand credit only if they are sure your commitment goes beyond providing your logo. They want to know your organization believes in what it's supporting.
Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, based in British Columbia, proved such commitment when it joined forces with the YMCA of Greater Vancouver, signing a multiyear partnership and contributing $1-million to provide financing for 69 licensed child-care and pre-school spaces in a centre bearing its name at the new Robert Lee YMCA in downtown Vancouver. The partnership links Coast Capital's financial expertise with the Y's social expertise and is an extension of the credit union's efforts to support early education and community leadership initiatives.
Ensure a DNA match
Your partner must share similar values and world views. Your target audience will instantly sense if the fit is authentic and if the partner brands are working seamlessly to deliver on the promise of the association.
American Express Co. has a long history of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, supporting thousands of non-profit groups over the years. To reignite its efforts, Amex recently linked with Take Part, an online community that provides information and resources for social activism. As a result of this partnership, called the Members Project, Amex provides its members with access to a Web-based resource that introduces them to ways to become involved in their local community, donate money or reward points to one of thousands of charities or receive reward points for volunteering. Take Part gets access to a vast premium audience looking to find ways to make a difference. Amex found a partner that enables it to more efficiently and effectively be involved in the CSR that is a core part of its brand.
It works both ways
Interestingly, it appears that corporate/not-for-profit partnerships have significant benefits for both the corporation and the not-for-profit. More than three-quarters of respondents to Boston-based, cause-marketing agency Cone Inc.'s most recent marketing trend tracker said they believe such partnerships enable the non-profit cause to stand out.
As well, 59 per cent said they are more likely to buy a product associated with the partnership, 50 per cent said they are more likely to donate to the non-profit and 41 per cent said they are more likely to volunteer for the non-profit. Corporate partners seen to be living up to a non-profit's goals and aspirations can add big value to their own brands as well as elevate awareness and interest in the cause.
It doesn't have to be serious
Partnerships don't always have to be deep, meaningful and complex. They can be as simple as picking the right endorser or spokesperson. If your brand is fun, make your partnership fun, too. Mars Inc. did that when it featured former Golden Girls star Betty White playing touch football in the ad for its Snickers chocolate bars during its big-budget Super Bowl campaign, playing off a shared sense of irreverence. Snickers is a fun brand that provides moments of pleasure; taking itself too seriously would have been the wrong approach.
Monday, April 12, 2010
We still look to TV for those water-cooler moments
as Published in the Globe and Mail (National Edition) - April 12, 2010
For a medium that is supposed to be in huge decline and no longer relevant, television is going through some interesting times.
Audiences for certain shows not only aren't dropping, they're actually up dramatically. There is talk of 3-D television programming in development, and Google Inc. is putting together partnerships to deliver its own TV network.
Why is there so much fuss about and focus on this once-written-off medium?
Since its inception, TV has been a centrepiece in most homes, delivering an experience that people could share and discuss. Sporting events, moon landings, elections and blockbuster programming brought people together.
But with pressure from niche channels, content-rich DVDs, PVRs and popular video websites such as YouTube and U.S. online TV site Hulu, traditional TV was starting to feel like a distant memory.
But, a funny thing has reared its head lately - human nature. A part of all of us still wants to share big moments with our communities, our country and even the world. Most of us will remember where we were when we were watching the recent men's gold medal hockey game. More than 22 million Canadians watched Sidney Crosby score the overtime goal. Audiences for live broadcasts of recent major events such as the Golden Globes, the Grammys, the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards were all up.
While there are more content options than ever before, it appears that Canadians are still looking for connections to those water-cooler moments. And it's interesting to note that online and social media are increasingly building on the content of these TV events, continuing the coverage and conversation.
So, what does this mean for marketers?
If you can afford it, be part of the moment
Both Visa Inc. and Coca-Cola Ltd. offer good examples of leveraging their marketing tools to fully take advantage of the 2010 Olympics.
Visa tailored its TV ads to connect with newsworthy and emotional moments. When skier Alexandre Bilodeau won Canada's first gold medal on home soil, Visa was on the next commercial break congratulating the country.
And Coca-Cola created a completely integrated presence around the Olympics, including advertising capitalizing on our national passion for hockey, a torch relay sponsorship that united Canadians and created its own news stories, and even the launch of a special Olympic-branded bottle.
There are enough water-cooler moments throughout the year to map out a strategy that ensures you reach large audiences effectively with your key message.
For example, the biggest advertiser during this year's Academy Awards was Hyundai Motor Co., which ran six spots promoting the launch of the 2011 Sonata. Producing and running that number of ads can be pricey, but this strategy can be very effective, reaching a large audience with a key brand message.
While notable U.S. Super Bowl advertisers of the past gave it up this year, a recent study looking at sales results for those that did participate re-emphasized the effectiveness of big-event TV advertising. The study, by research company Millward Brown, found that Super Bowl advertisers saw "an average sales uplift of more than 11 per cent in the following month." As well, it calculated that advertisers would have had to devote three times their Super Bowl spending on traditional TV ads to get the same result.
Can your brand leverage TV content?
Dr. Pepper ads currently airing on television feature Dr. Spaceman, a character from 30 Rock; they run immediately after the comedy show finishes and are featured prominently on the show's website. By capitalizing on the show's content, the Dr. Pepper ads blur the line between program and commercial, and transfer the likeability of the show directly to the brand.
Social media will likely increase TV audiences
Sites such as Facebook and Twitter are all about creating connections and community. As friends share their comments about favourite TV shows or tweet about who's going to win an event, they reinforce the power of traditional TV and boost the impact of event experiences.
Marketers can benefit by paying attention to what is getting traction, as that's where the audiences will be.
Tiger Woods' return to golf at the Masters last week was a hot topic on blogs as well as sports, news and social media websites. The momentum behind the online chatter generated one of the biggest viewing audiences for the Masters in TV history.
If you can't afford to be part of the moment, you can still be part of the conversation
It used to be that if, as a marketer, you couldn't afford to be on TV during the event, you missed the opportunity. Now, more than ever, however, big TV events generate online coverage and fan conversation after the fact. That creates an opportunity to participate at a virtual water cooler and keep the connection going. Promoting your brand on targeted sites or blogs (such as msn.ca, tsn.ca or people.com) before or after an event or show allows you to take advantage of the pre- and post-event buzz.
Television may be only one of many content options today, but it still stands alone as the place to gather for the big show.
For a medium that is supposed to be in huge decline and no longer relevant, television is going through some interesting times.
Audiences for certain shows not only aren't dropping, they're actually up dramatically. There is talk of 3-D television programming in development, and Google Inc. is putting together partnerships to deliver its own TV network.
Why is there so much fuss about and focus on this once-written-off medium?
Since its inception, TV has been a centrepiece in most homes, delivering an experience that people could share and discuss. Sporting events, moon landings, elections and blockbuster programming brought people together.
But with pressure from niche channels, content-rich DVDs, PVRs and popular video websites such as YouTube and U.S. online TV site Hulu, traditional TV was starting to feel like a distant memory.
But, a funny thing has reared its head lately - human nature. A part of all of us still wants to share big moments with our communities, our country and even the world. Most of us will remember where we were when we were watching the recent men's gold medal hockey game. More than 22 million Canadians watched Sidney Crosby score the overtime goal. Audiences for live broadcasts of recent major events such as the Golden Globes, the Grammys, the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards were all up.
While there are more content options than ever before, it appears that Canadians are still looking for connections to those water-cooler moments. And it's interesting to note that online and social media are increasingly building on the content of these TV events, continuing the coverage and conversation.
So, what does this mean for marketers?
If you can afford it, be part of the moment
Both Visa Inc. and Coca-Cola Ltd. offer good examples of leveraging their marketing tools to fully take advantage of the 2010 Olympics.
Visa tailored its TV ads to connect with newsworthy and emotional moments. When skier Alexandre Bilodeau won Canada's first gold medal on home soil, Visa was on the next commercial break congratulating the country.
And Coca-Cola created a completely integrated presence around the Olympics, including advertising capitalizing on our national passion for hockey, a torch relay sponsorship that united Canadians and created its own news stories, and even the launch of a special Olympic-branded bottle.
There are enough water-cooler moments throughout the year to map out a strategy that ensures you reach large audiences effectively with your key message.
For example, the biggest advertiser during this year's Academy Awards was Hyundai Motor Co., which ran six spots promoting the launch of the 2011 Sonata. Producing and running that number of ads can be pricey, but this strategy can be very effective, reaching a large audience with a key brand message.
While notable U.S. Super Bowl advertisers of the past gave it up this year, a recent study looking at sales results for those that did participate re-emphasized the effectiveness of big-event TV advertising. The study, by research company Millward Brown, found that Super Bowl advertisers saw "an average sales uplift of more than 11 per cent in the following month." As well, it calculated that advertisers would have had to devote three times their Super Bowl spending on traditional TV ads to get the same result.
Can your brand leverage TV content?
Dr. Pepper ads currently airing on television feature Dr. Spaceman, a character from 30 Rock; they run immediately after the comedy show finishes and are featured prominently on the show's website. By capitalizing on the show's content, the Dr. Pepper ads blur the line between program and commercial, and transfer the likeability of the show directly to the brand.
Social media will likely increase TV audiences
Sites such as Facebook and Twitter are all about creating connections and community. As friends share their comments about favourite TV shows or tweet about who's going to win an event, they reinforce the power of traditional TV and boost the impact of event experiences.
Marketers can benefit by paying attention to what is getting traction, as that's where the audiences will be.
Tiger Woods' return to golf at the Masters last week was a hot topic on blogs as well as sports, news and social media websites. The momentum behind the online chatter generated one of the biggest viewing audiences for the Masters in TV history.
If you can't afford to be part of the moment, you can still be part of the conversation
It used to be that if, as a marketer, you couldn't afford to be on TV during the event, you missed the opportunity. Now, more than ever, however, big TV events generate online coverage and fan conversation after the fact. That creates an opportunity to participate at a virtual water cooler and keep the connection going. Promoting your brand on targeted sites or blogs (such as msn.ca, tsn.ca or people.com) before or after an event or show allows you to take advantage of the pre- and post-event buzz.
Television may be only one of many content options today, but it still stands alone as the place to gather for the big show.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Wired for change should be marketers' mantra
as Published in the Globe and Mail (National Edition)- February 1, 2010
With the dawn of a new decade, it's worth reflecting on the pace of change that has occurred in marketing, and think about what it will take to own the future.
At the start of the last decade, no one could have predicted how the tools with which businesses tell their brand stories would shift so dramatically.
As well, it would have been challenging to accept that the shift in brand ownership from the corporation to the consumer would have been as radical as it has been.
To gear up for the next decade, here are some of the key shifts to keep in mind for your own marketing efforts:
Moving away from tried and true
After 23 years, this year's Feb. 7 broadcast will mark the first Super Bowl without any Pepsi advertising.
Instead, PepsiCo Inc. is shifting its multimillion-dollar budget online. And, rather than relying on celebrities to pitch its products, it's shifted to a philanthropic, cause-related campaign.
Called the "Pepsi Refresh Project" (http://www.refresheverything.com), the initiative, launched in January, offers to fund "refreshing ideas that change the world." People can apply on the website to have their projects funded and vote for projects they believe are worthy of funding.
This noteworthy shift from high-profile, event-based buzz to an online-based, cause-related movement illustrates what many marketers are feeling - that traditional tools don't have the same power to engage consumers that they used to. And, increasingly, marketers are looking at values as a way to demonstrate value.
Speed to market is accelerating
Marketing today has shifted to real-time response, requiring fast assessments of opportunities and threats. This requires a strong understanding of what feels right and appropriate for your brand, so that strategic communication decisions can be made quickly.
The speed with which marketers, not just aid organizations and NGOs, jumped to help raise funds for victims of the Haiti earthquake was astonishing. Within hours, telecom companies created opportunities to contribute via texting, airlines and hotel chains implemented point-donation programs, and other businesses, from packaged-goods to courier companies, were trying to outdo each other with announcements of cash contributions.
More effort to earn your place
Gone are the simpler times when a TV ad presenting a sharp, focused and competitive brand message was enough to do the job. In the past decade, consumers have become increasingly cynical about advertising messages, with blogs and other online tools holding marketers accountable for the promises they make.
As well, consumers are more protective about giving brands the permission to intrude, particularly in personal spaces like Facebook.
To succeed, marketers need to understand where they have permission to show up, and the tools they choose to use must deliver value to consumers and speak in an authentic brand voice.
An interesting example from 2009 is Best Buy's creation of Twelpforce, a service using company staff to answer product and technology questions directly via Twitter - bypassing the usual and often frustrating customer-service practices.
Best Buy's ad agency, Crispin Porter & Bogusky, made Twelpforce a key component of its marketing program, aiming to provide proof that the company's staff are more knowledgeable and supportive than that of its competitors.
Consumers expect to participate with your brand
Over the past 10 years, marketers have increasingly moved from talking at consumers to talking with them. As the lines of brand ownership blur, co-creation of content and user-generated content will increasingly become part of a company's communications approach.
A great example: To promote this year's Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy and its ad agency, TBWA\Chiat\Day, created a campaign centred around an interactive website called "We Are All Fans" (wereallfans.com). It's filled with portraits of Grammy-nominated artists generated entirely from YouTube, Twitter and Flickr postings submitted by fans, constantly updating in real time.
Brands and ideas are borderless
More than ever, we're citizens of the world, with consumers seeking out the latest and greatest, independent of location. With the pervasiveness of global conversations via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, people feel more directly and immediately connected to brands outside their immediate marketplace.
For last year's United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen, marketers, agencies and NGOs got together to create a campaign called Hopenhagen, intended to connect people to the issues (hopenhagen.org).
The campaign, promoted via social and paid media, created a platform for people to voice their opinions about climate change. Today, the site showcases comments from some of more than six million citizens of countries all over the world.
Marketers are no longer bound by region, and brands can go global virtually overnight. Today, being nimble, open-minded and prepared to break new ground is the price of entry.
For marketers to find success over the next decade, they will need to be wired for change, creative about understanding their brand's real connection with consumers, and fearless about trying new approaches.
With the dawn of a new decade, it's worth reflecting on the pace of change that has occurred in marketing, and think about what it will take to own the future.
At the start of the last decade, no one could have predicted how the tools with which businesses tell their brand stories would shift so dramatically.
As well, it would have been challenging to accept that the shift in brand ownership from the corporation to the consumer would have been as radical as it has been.
To gear up for the next decade, here are some of the key shifts to keep in mind for your own marketing efforts:
Moving away from tried and true
After 23 years, this year's Feb. 7 broadcast will mark the first Super Bowl without any Pepsi advertising.
Instead, PepsiCo Inc. is shifting its multimillion-dollar budget online. And, rather than relying on celebrities to pitch its products, it's shifted to a philanthropic, cause-related campaign.
Called the "Pepsi Refresh Project" (http://www.refresheverything.com), the initiative, launched in January, offers to fund "refreshing ideas that change the world." People can apply on the website to have their projects funded and vote for projects they believe are worthy of funding.
This noteworthy shift from high-profile, event-based buzz to an online-based, cause-related movement illustrates what many marketers are feeling - that traditional tools don't have the same power to engage consumers that they used to. And, increasingly, marketers are looking at values as a way to demonstrate value.
Speed to market is accelerating
Marketing today has shifted to real-time response, requiring fast assessments of opportunities and threats. This requires a strong understanding of what feels right and appropriate for your brand, so that strategic communication decisions can be made quickly.
The speed with which marketers, not just aid organizations and NGOs, jumped to help raise funds for victims of the Haiti earthquake was astonishing. Within hours, telecom companies created opportunities to contribute via texting, airlines and hotel chains implemented point-donation programs, and other businesses, from packaged-goods to courier companies, were trying to outdo each other with announcements of cash contributions.
More effort to earn your place
Gone are the simpler times when a TV ad presenting a sharp, focused and competitive brand message was enough to do the job. In the past decade, consumers have become increasingly cynical about advertising messages, with blogs and other online tools holding marketers accountable for the promises they make.
As well, consumers are more protective about giving brands the permission to intrude, particularly in personal spaces like Facebook.
To succeed, marketers need to understand where they have permission to show up, and the tools they choose to use must deliver value to consumers and speak in an authentic brand voice.
An interesting example from 2009 is Best Buy's creation of Twelpforce, a service using company staff to answer product and technology questions directly via Twitter - bypassing the usual and often frustrating customer-service practices.
Best Buy's ad agency, Crispin Porter & Bogusky, made Twelpforce a key component of its marketing program, aiming to provide proof that the company's staff are more knowledgeable and supportive than that of its competitors.
Consumers expect to participate with your brand
Over the past 10 years, marketers have increasingly moved from talking at consumers to talking with them. As the lines of brand ownership blur, co-creation of content and user-generated content will increasingly become part of a company's communications approach.
A great example: To promote this year's Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy and its ad agency, TBWA\Chiat\Day, created a campaign centred around an interactive website called "We Are All Fans" (wereallfans.com). It's filled with portraits of Grammy-nominated artists generated entirely from YouTube, Twitter and Flickr postings submitted by fans, constantly updating in real time.
Brands and ideas are borderless
More than ever, we're citizens of the world, with consumers seeking out the latest and greatest, independent of location. With the pervasiveness of global conversations via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, people feel more directly and immediately connected to brands outside their immediate marketplace.
For last year's United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen, marketers, agencies and NGOs got together to create a campaign called Hopenhagen, intended to connect people to the issues (hopenhagen.org).
The campaign, promoted via social and paid media, created a platform for people to voice their opinions about climate change. Today, the site showcases comments from some of more than six million citizens of countries all over the world.
Marketers are no longer bound by region, and brands can go global virtually overnight. Today, being nimble, open-minded and prepared to break new ground is the price of entry.
For marketers to find success over the next decade, they will need to be wired for change, creative about understanding their brand's real connection with consumers, and fearless about trying new approaches.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Convergence at last: marketers get mobile
as Published in the Globe and Mail (National Edition)- November 16, 2009
Although the United States, Japan and China have the world's most-developed mobile markets, it's increasingly making business sense to consider mobile as a key element in your marketing strategy.
According to Chetan Sharma Consulting, it's predicted that, by next year, 70 per cent of the world's population will own a mobile device. And mobile Web penetration globally is already above 25 per cent and rising rapidly.
Devices that combine mobility and access, such as smart phones, iPods and the Kindle book reader, create opportunities and stimulate demand for mobile media. The availability of GPS on mobile devices opens the door to countless new location-specific applications allowing people to do things that were the stuff of science fiction a few short years ago.
Consumers now expect easy access to a wealth of digital services, all delivered with broadband speed and available any time, anywhere. For years, marketers have talked about media convergence; it's actually happening within the mobile device.
With mobile, marketers have access to a truly personal communications vehicle, and can reach customers and prospects with messages and offers specific to their location and interests. Because mobile penetration in the U.S. is higher, the use of mobile marketing there tends to lead what we are doing in Canada.
Here's a look at a few practices that are proving effective.
Look for new ways to engage consumers
Soap maker Dove included a text-to-vote number on a billboard that showed a fresh-looking older woman. Pedestrians were asked to choose between "wrinkled" and "wonderful" - the combined results from both text and online voting were displayed on the billboard's live ticker.
Pontiac launched a camera-phone promotion for its new G6, encouraging consumers to look for G6s on the street. Consumers who took a photo of a G6 and sent it in were entered into a draw to win $1-million.
Adidas extended its sponsorship of the London Marathon by getting runners' families and friends more engaged in the event. A Java application for the mobile Web tied together radio-frequency identification chips in runners' shoes with timing mats on the course. Spectators could enter a runner's unique code, via the application or online, to get the latest information on individual progress and projected finish time.
Look for times of special relevance
Honda launched its hybrid Insight vehicle to coincide with Earth Hour, a specific time when people around the world are particularly aware of environmental issues and therefore likely more interested in a hybrid vehicle. The mobile element of the campaign included opt-in alerts reminding people of the Earth Hour event by time zone. This simple but effective campaign allowed Honda to provide a service to consumers while building its brand.
Make it easy
Designing an application specifically for mobile devices makes good sense for companies wanting to stimulate usage. The car-sharing service Zipcar announced a new application that allows members to find, reserve, honk, lock and unlock its vehicles - all from an iPhone or iPod Touch.
Care about what the user cares about
AT&T found an innovative way to cement relationships and stimulate usage while providing a valuable service. AT&T Social Net acts as a "social mission control," providing a live connection to popular social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Visiongain Research predicts mobile social network-related revenue will reach $60-billion (U.S.) by 2012 and, in the United States, mobile-only social networks such as MocoSpace, Mig33 and Peperonity are gaining traction.
Communicate in real time
Minnesota's Mall of America now offers a new text-messaging service called MallCall, giving shoppers real-time information about deals and promotions. Consumers must opt in to the service, and receive texts only during mall hours. The service lets retailers target potential customers already in the mall, driving traffic and making bargain-hunting easier for shoppers.
Reward loyalty
Starbucks recently launched a mobile loyalty program in Mexico that achieved a 60-per-cent coupon redemption rate. In-store signage includes a mobile "call to action" offering various discounts and upgrades. At the same time, the company is targeting new customers with a buy-one-get-one-free offer via postcards handed out in malls, universities and retail outlets.
Build relationships
Because mobile devices are highly personal, they must be treated with respect. Getting permission from the user is imperative, partly because of privacy legislation and also because sending messages without permission destroys brand trust. Spam sent to a mobile phone is particularly offensive because the consumer pays for the cost of delivery.
Marketers who look to the future are building opt-in databases of consumers who genuinely want to be in touch. And forward-thinking marketers are increasingly looking for ways that mobile can give them the creative edge when it comes to building their brand relationships.
Although the United States, Japan and China have the world's most-developed mobile markets, it's increasingly making business sense to consider mobile as a key element in your marketing strategy.
According to Chetan Sharma Consulting, it's predicted that, by next year, 70 per cent of the world's population will own a mobile device. And mobile Web penetration globally is already above 25 per cent and rising rapidly.
Devices that combine mobility and access, such as smart phones, iPods and the Kindle book reader, create opportunities and stimulate demand for mobile media. The availability of GPS on mobile devices opens the door to countless new location-specific applications allowing people to do things that were the stuff of science fiction a few short years ago.
Consumers now expect easy access to a wealth of digital services, all delivered with broadband speed and available any time, anywhere. For years, marketers have talked about media convergence; it's actually happening within the mobile device.
With mobile, marketers have access to a truly personal communications vehicle, and can reach customers and prospects with messages and offers specific to their location and interests. Because mobile penetration in the U.S. is higher, the use of mobile marketing there tends to lead what we are doing in Canada.
Here's a look at a few practices that are proving effective.
Look for new ways to engage consumers
Soap maker Dove included a text-to-vote number on a billboard that showed a fresh-looking older woman. Pedestrians were asked to choose between "wrinkled" and "wonderful" - the combined results from both text and online voting were displayed on the billboard's live ticker.
Pontiac launched a camera-phone promotion for its new G6, encouraging consumers to look for G6s on the street. Consumers who took a photo of a G6 and sent it in were entered into a draw to win $1-million.
Adidas extended its sponsorship of the London Marathon by getting runners' families and friends more engaged in the event. A Java application for the mobile Web tied together radio-frequency identification chips in runners' shoes with timing mats on the course. Spectators could enter a runner's unique code, via the application or online, to get the latest information on individual progress and projected finish time.
Look for times of special relevance
Honda launched its hybrid Insight vehicle to coincide with Earth Hour, a specific time when people around the world are particularly aware of environmental issues and therefore likely more interested in a hybrid vehicle. The mobile element of the campaign included opt-in alerts reminding people of the Earth Hour event by time zone. This simple but effective campaign allowed Honda to provide a service to consumers while building its brand.
Make it easy
Designing an application specifically for mobile devices makes good sense for companies wanting to stimulate usage. The car-sharing service Zipcar announced a new application that allows members to find, reserve, honk, lock and unlock its vehicles - all from an iPhone or iPod Touch.
Care about what the user cares about
AT&T found an innovative way to cement relationships and stimulate usage while providing a valuable service. AT&T Social Net acts as a "social mission control," providing a live connection to popular social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Visiongain Research predicts mobile social network-related revenue will reach $60-billion (U.S.) by 2012 and, in the United States, mobile-only social networks such as MocoSpace, Mig33 and Peperonity are gaining traction.
Communicate in real time
Minnesota's Mall of America now offers a new text-messaging service called MallCall, giving shoppers real-time information about deals and promotions. Consumers must opt in to the service, and receive texts only during mall hours. The service lets retailers target potential customers already in the mall, driving traffic and making bargain-hunting easier for shoppers.
Reward loyalty
Starbucks recently launched a mobile loyalty program in Mexico that achieved a 60-per-cent coupon redemption rate. In-store signage includes a mobile "call to action" offering various discounts and upgrades. At the same time, the company is targeting new customers with a buy-one-get-one-free offer via postcards handed out in malls, universities and retail outlets.
Build relationships
Because mobile devices are highly personal, they must be treated with respect. Getting permission from the user is imperative, partly because of privacy legislation and also because sending messages without permission destroys brand trust. Spam sent to a mobile phone is particularly offensive because the consumer pays for the cost of delivery.
Marketers who look to the future are building opt-in databases of consumers who genuinely want to be in touch. And forward-thinking marketers are increasingly looking for ways that mobile can give them the creative edge when it comes to building their brand relationships.
Monday, September 28, 2009
How to freshen your brand without wasting dollars
as Published in the Globe and Mail (National Edition)- September 28, 2009
During last week's Emmy Awards, host Neil Patrick Harris opened the show with a musical plea for viewers to "put down the remote" and not miss the live action by recording the show or "jumping online."
While TV viewers do multitask, tape and watch online, shows still draw large audiences and become the talk of the water cooler the next day. The 2009 Emmys attracted its largest audience since 2003, with more than 17 per cent of Canadians aged 25 to 54 tuning in.
Clearly, traditional media aren't dead. But increasingly, the bold new ideas are coming from marketers who are working with their ad agencies and media partners to combine new technologies with traditional media approaches.
With the media landscape changing, and people shifting how they spend their time, it's often challenging to assess how to balance marketing spending among traditional media like television, radio, outdoor and print advertising against newer technologies, like the Web, mobile, smart phone and social networking applications.
Approaching marketing challenges by asking the question, "How would I do this if traditional media tools did not exist?" helps to move beyond traditional thinking to communicate your brand story in new ways. This doesn't mean you ignore traditional media. Rather, it means that you push for new frontiers that disrupt the conventional approaches, showcase your brand in fresh ways, and effectively separate you from your competitors.
While it's tempting to believe that just because something is new it must be better, without a smart idea that makes sense for your brand, dollars spent on innovative media approaches will be dollars wasted.
Here are some key factors to consider to get it right:
Ensure relevance
While people are increasingly adopting Twitter, this doesn't mean that your brand's consumers will sign up in droves to hear from you. It needs to be relevant for them to care enough to follow your brand's tweets. A good example is the Albion Café in Britain. Bakertweet.com created a device for the bakery allowing them to tweet when goodies were coming out of the oven. This helped extend the relationship between the bakery and their customers because people were excited about getting the freshest baked goods first.
Create utility
While the iPhone is still building distribution in Canada, globally there are 30 million users who've collectively downloaded one billion apps. The best smart phone apps are useful or entertaining. The "Dunkin' Donuts Dunkin' Run" iPhone app allows you to collect your friends' or coworkers' doughnut orders as you head out for a "doughnut run" and Benjamin Moore's "Ben Color Capture" iPhone app allows you to snap a picture of a colour you'd like to match, finds the appropriate Benjamin Moore paint colour and uses GPS to suggest the nearest Benjamin Moore store.
Use technology to engage
Nike teamed up with Lance Armstrong's Live Strong campaign during the Tour de France to engage fans in a direct and novel way. Typically during the Tour, fans write support messages in chalk along the route. Nike created a computerized "Chalkbot" that allowed fans to suggest messages via text or website which were sent to the Chalkbot computer and then relayed to a "printer" which chalked the message onto the Tour de France route ahead of the bikers. The Chalkbot then sent fans a photo of their message and a link that used Google Maps to help fans track when the Tour de France team was passing their chalked greeting. This year over 100,000 messages were created that allowed fans to engage with the brand and feel part of the event.
Use technology to increase traditional media's impact
Lexus and its agency Dentsu recently took outdoor advertising to a new interactive level by using real-time weather data to tailor the advertising message that runs on digital outdoor screens in order to highlight the convertible aspect of their cars. The outdoor screens display the weather feed at the bottom and change the picture of Lexus IS 250 C (top up or down) to match the current weather conditions.
Extend your brand idea
Okanagan Spring Brewery knew it had a provocative summer campaign focused on the grassroots idea of sponsoring everyday events like "Going fishing at Jeff's cabin" or "Mike's ping-pong tournament." And, in order to further engage beer consumers Okanagan Spring created "Sponsor Me Spring" - a microsite that encouraged people to send in videos requesting sponsorship for their events. The microsite allowed visitors to vote on who was deserving of sponsorship support. By inviting audience participation and directly interacting with their target consumer, Okanagan Spring not only posted significant sales and market share gains, they also created strong consumer engagement and brand loyalty.
Make sure you measure
Sales are still the ultimate measure of a marketer's success. But the use of new media approaches requires some creative thinking to ensure understanding of what's working and what isn't. Quantitative audience numbers don't reflect the level of engagement that a good idea can create for your brand. Including a measurement tool that assesses the qualitative value of the connection that your message is making is increasingly important.
During last week's Emmy Awards, host Neil Patrick Harris opened the show with a musical plea for viewers to "put down the remote" and not miss the live action by recording the show or "jumping online."
While TV viewers do multitask, tape and watch online, shows still draw large audiences and become the talk of the water cooler the next day. The 2009 Emmys attracted its largest audience since 2003, with more than 17 per cent of Canadians aged 25 to 54 tuning in.
Clearly, traditional media aren't dead. But increasingly, the bold new ideas are coming from marketers who are working with their ad agencies and media partners to combine new technologies with traditional media approaches.
With the media landscape changing, and people shifting how they spend their time, it's often challenging to assess how to balance marketing spending among traditional media like television, radio, outdoor and print advertising against newer technologies, like the Web, mobile, smart phone and social networking applications.
Approaching marketing challenges by asking the question, "How would I do this if traditional media tools did not exist?" helps to move beyond traditional thinking to communicate your brand story in new ways. This doesn't mean you ignore traditional media. Rather, it means that you push for new frontiers that disrupt the conventional approaches, showcase your brand in fresh ways, and effectively separate you from your competitors.
While it's tempting to believe that just because something is new it must be better, without a smart idea that makes sense for your brand, dollars spent on innovative media approaches will be dollars wasted.
Here are some key factors to consider to get it right:
Ensure relevance
While people are increasingly adopting Twitter, this doesn't mean that your brand's consumers will sign up in droves to hear from you. It needs to be relevant for them to care enough to follow your brand's tweets. A good example is the Albion Café in Britain. Bakertweet.com created a device for the bakery allowing them to tweet when goodies were coming out of the oven. This helped extend the relationship between the bakery and their customers because people were excited about getting the freshest baked goods first.
Create utility
While the iPhone is still building distribution in Canada, globally there are 30 million users who've collectively downloaded one billion apps. The best smart phone apps are useful or entertaining. The "Dunkin' Donuts Dunkin' Run" iPhone app allows you to collect your friends' or coworkers' doughnut orders as you head out for a "doughnut run" and Benjamin Moore's "Ben Color Capture" iPhone app allows you to snap a picture of a colour you'd like to match, finds the appropriate Benjamin Moore paint colour and uses GPS to suggest the nearest Benjamin Moore store.
Use technology to engage
Nike teamed up with Lance Armstrong's Live Strong campaign during the Tour de France to engage fans in a direct and novel way. Typically during the Tour, fans write support messages in chalk along the route. Nike created a computerized "Chalkbot" that allowed fans to suggest messages via text or website which were sent to the Chalkbot computer and then relayed to a "printer" which chalked the message onto the Tour de France route ahead of the bikers. The Chalkbot then sent fans a photo of their message and a link that used Google Maps to help fans track when the Tour de France team was passing their chalked greeting. This year over 100,000 messages were created that allowed fans to engage with the brand and feel part of the event.
Use technology to increase traditional media's impact
Lexus and its agency Dentsu recently took outdoor advertising to a new interactive level by using real-time weather data to tailor the advertising message that runs on digital outdoor screens in order to highlight the convertible aspect of their cars. The outdoor screens display the weather feed at the bottom and change the picture of Lexus IS 250 C (top up or down) to match the current weather conditions.
Extend your brand idea
Okanagan Spring Brewery knew it had a provocative summer campaign focused on the grassroots idea of sponsoring everyday events like "Going fishing at Jeff's cabin" or "Mike's ping-pong tournament." And, in order to further engage beer consumers Okanagan Spring created "Sponsor Me Spring" - a microsite that encouraged people to send in videos requesting sponsorship for their events. The microsite allowed visitors to vote on who was deserving of sponsorship support. By inviting audience participation and directly interacting with their target consumer, Okanagan Spring not only posted significant sales and market share gains, they also created strong consumer engagement and brand loyalty.
Make sure you measure
Sales are still the ultimate measure of a marketer's success. But the use of new media approaches requires some creative thinking to ensure understanding of what's working and what isn't. Quantitative audience numbers don't reflect the level of engagement that a good idea can create for your brand. Including a measurement tool that assesses the qualitative value of the connection that your message is making is increasingly important.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Sharpen the focus again on corporate social responsibility
The Bank of Canada’s declaration that the recession is over provides an opportunity to look at your business and brand strategies with fresh eyes. One import focus: corporate social responsibility.
In tough times, businesses make decisions that emphasize short-term survival, and neglect longer-term investments that feel like “nice to do’s.” Before the economy softened, companies were increasingly making corporate social responsibility an integral part of their business and marking strategies. When money got tight, many companies cut back or shelved their plans entirely.
With positive news on the horizon, it’s time to take the CSR strategy off the back burner and ensure you’re well-positioned for growth.
Some companies will have more of an uphill battle against competitors that didn’t back off CSR. (Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola Enterprises are notable examples of companies that increased their commitment to CSR during the recession.) But they’ll have to respond to consumers who increasingly want to deal with companies doing everything in their power to be socially and environmentally responsible.
So how can you reignite a CSR focus in ways that are meaningful and authentic? Here are some thoughts to kick-start the conversation:
START WITH PASSION
A focused CSR strategy starts from a point of passion, whether it’s because the board or senior leadership decides it’s time to use the corporate platform to lead change or the corporate communications or marketing departments see an opportunity to address negative perceptions or create a competitive advantage.
Look for a natural extension of what you do. Your CSR strategy should be tied as directly as possible to your corporate or brand mission and ultimately help differentiate your company from competitors that are doing less to meet CSR goals
PICK A FOCUS
Corporate social responsibility strategies can be narrowly focused around specific goals (say, support a charity) or be more broadly defined (for instance, sustainability or community economic development). The key is to pick something that you can own and that fits with your corporate values.
Often, larger companies, particularly when profits are good, have a hard time saying “No” to specific requests. By spreading their CSR budget around too many initiatives, they reduce their ability to play a true leadership role and effectively engage their stakeholders.
BE REALISTIC
You need to make an honest assessment of what you can directly affect (your internal operations) and what you can influence (your stakeholders and partners).
And be clear about what is not within your control so that you’re not wasting valuable resources trying to change things that you can’t. Consumers don’t expect you to change the world, but they’ll reward you if you do what you can within your sphere of influence.
LOOK INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
Companies with the smartest strategies ensure they are being fully inclusive, across their organization and into the wider world, with outside partners, stakeholders and the general public.
One smart move often overlooked is using employees to make a difference in their communities. As well, companies that are working hard to change behavior inside their organization may forget the influence they can have outside with, for example, their buying power with suppliers.
IDENTIFY EXPECTATIONS, PLANS
Too often, the heavy lifting of getting CSR initiatives off the ground is shouldered by one department. While individual or departmental passion can do a lot to drive action, it’s more effective to ensure that operational expectations and action plans are created at all levels of the company. Without strong communication and engagement, execution falls short and innovation opportunities are missed.
IT’S NOT JUST MARKETING
A CSR commitment needs to come from a genuine place. If you’re acting socially responsible purely to increase sales, consumers will call you on it. That’s not to say, however, that CSR initiatives can’t be used to complement marketing strategies.
SET MEASURES OF SUCCESS
A focus on results is needed to drive and maintain momentum. Without measurement, it’s harder to get buy-in, determine which actions have the most impact and keep all stakeholders motivated to meet long-term CSR goals.
Developing a focused corporate social responsibility strategy requires an investment of time and resources. The results, though, can often be what sets you apart from competitors, now and in the future.
In tough times, businesses make decisions that emphasize short-term survival, and neglect longer-term investments that feel like “nice to do’s.” Before the economy softened, companies were increasingly making corporate social responsibility an integral part of their business and marking strategies. When money got tight, many companies cut back or shelved their plans entirely.
With positive news on the horizon, it’s time to take the CSR strategy off the back burner and ensure you’re well-positioned for growth.
Some companies will have more of an uphill battle against competitors that didn’t back off CSR. (Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola Enterprises are notable examples of companies that increased their commitment to CSR during the recession.) But they’ll have to respond to consumers who increasingly want to deal with companies doing everything in their power to be socially and environmentally responsible.
So how can you reignite a CSR focus in ways that are meaningful and authentic? Here are some thoughts to kick-start the conversation:
START WITH PASSION
A focused CSR strategy starts from a point of passion, whether it’s because the board or senior leadership decides it’s time to use the corporate platform to lead change or the corporate communications or marketing departments see an opportunity to address negative perceptions or create a competitive advantage.
Look for a natural extension of what you do. Your CSR strategy should be tied as directly as possible to your corporate or brand mission and ultimately help differentiate your company from competitors that are doing less to meet CSR goals
PICK A FOCUS
Corporate social responsibility strategies can be narrowly focused around specific goals (say, support a charity) or be more broadly defined (for instance, sustainability or community economic development). The key is to pick something that you can own and that fits with your corporate values.
Often, larger companies, particularly when profits are good, have a hard time saying “No” to specific requests. By spreading their CSR budget around too many initiatives, they reduce their ability to play a true leadership role and effectively engage their stakeholders.
BE REALISTIC
You need to make an honest assessment of what you can directly affect (your internal operations) and what you can influence (your stakeholders and partners).
And be clear about what is not within your control so that you’re not wasting valuable resources trying to change things that you can’t. Consumers don’t expect you to change the world, but they’ll reward you if you do what you can within your sphere of influence.
LOOK INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
Companies with the smartest strategies ensure they are being fully inclusive, across their organization and into the wider world, with outside partners, stakeholders and the general public.
One smart move often overlooked is using employees to make a difference in their communities. As well, companies that are working hard to change behavior inside their organization may forget the influence they can have outside with, for example, their buying power with suppliers.
IDENTIFY EXPECTATIONS, PLANS
Too often, the heavy lifting of getting CSR initiatives off the ground is shouldered by one department. While individual or departmental passion can do a lot to drive action, it’s more effective to ensure that operational expectations and action plans are created at all levels of the company. Without strong communication and engagement, execution falls short and innovation opportunities are missed.
IT’S NOT JUST MARKETING
A CSR commitment needs to come from a genuine place. If you’re acting socially responsible purely to increase sales, consumers will call you on it. That’s not to say, however, that CSR initiatives can’t be used to complement marketing strategies.
SET MEASURES OF SUCCESS
A focus on results is needed to drive and maintain momentum. Without measurement, it’s harder to get buy-in, determine which actions have the most impact and keep all stakeholders motivated to meet long-term CSR goals.
Developing a focused corporate social responsibility strategy requires an investment of time and resources. The results, though, can often be what sets you apart from competitors, now and in the future.
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