Get to the Point

Blog Ads That Work

When an ad that appeared on her blog failed to impress, B.L. Ochman provided its purchaser, a television network, some pro bono feedback. "Please don't get me wrong," Ochman writes in an open letter at MarketingProfs Daily Fix. "I love you for advertising ... on my blog. But I want you to get results so you'll keep coming back, and this ad sucks."

Blunt talk, but Ochman speaks from experience: her blog ad campaigns for companies like American Greetings and Budget Car Rental have achieved click-through rates as high as 2.1 percent. And if you advertise at blogs—or have considered the idea—you might benefit from the advice she offers:

• Be intriguing, interesting, entertaining. Blog readers respond to a fresh approach, not the traditional advertising that they see everywhere else. So go ahead: Show your sense of humor. Get edgy and fun, topical and timely.


• Readers aren't interested in hearing your story; they want to know what you can do for them. Get right to the point and spell out the ROI. Tell readers how they benefit from your product or service. "We want you to tell us, in the headline, why we should care," says Ochman.


• White space is your friend. Ads compete with lots of other copy at a blog. If yours isn't easy to read at a glance, it might as well be invisible.
  

The Po!nt: Get the most out of your blog ad by tailoring your design and copy to the format and the audience.

Get to the Po!nt

Are Your Web Customers Engaged?

December 2007

Your Web site is an ideal venue for holding your customers' attention. But how do you measure the success of your efforts? Inspired by Eric Petersen's presentation on the subject at an eMetrics conference, Katie Paine, of KDPaine's PR Measurement Blog, decided to make a list of the basic information you'll need:

• The percentage of increase or decrease in unique visits


• The 10 most popular pages, and changes from the previous week


• The number and percentage of sessions that represent more than five page views


• The percentage of sessions that last more than five minutes


• The percentage of visitors who return for more than five sessions


• The percentage of sessions arriving from a Google search, a direct link at your Web site or another site related to your brand


• The percentage of visitors who become subscribers, download content or provide an email address

Paine says it isn't hard to find this data. Your webmaster should be able to compile a report on a regular basis using tools like Visual Sciences, Google Analytics and ClickTracks.

The Po!nt: Ask the right questions about your Web site's traffic, and you'll learn more than the number of people who visit—you'll gain insight into how effectively you engage your customers.

[Source: KDPaine's PR Measurement Blog.]

GET TO THE PO!NT

What Surveys Can Tell You—and Your Customers

December 2007.

What are you trying to accomplish with a survey? It's likely you're asking a series of questions designed to elicit valuable feedback for ongoing improvements of your product or service. But in a recent post at his blog, Seth Godin discusses the various ways a survey—and its results—can be used for much more.

One option is to use the survey question as a marketing tactic:

• "You can TEACH people with a survey," writes Godin, "simply by asking them questions that help them notice things they never noticed before." For instance, you might ask, "Do your prefer option A or option B?" when the real purpose of the question is to let the participant know that they have an option B.

Another twist uses survey results to influence behavior:

• Godin cites the marketing campaign for Trident, which claimed four out of five dentists recommended the sugarless gum to their patients. "Hardly scientific," he says, "but publishing the results made dentists feel better about recommending the gum and made people with teeth happier about chewing it."

The Po!nt: A survey's usefulness is not limited to gathering data—you might also find that it can be a useful marketing tool. So explore all the ways a survey can benefit your company.

Product Launches

New Products: The Real Challenge Is in Execution, Not Strategy
by Barry Curewitz
December 2007

Marketers love talking about products like the Swiffer or iPod, two colossal successes in terms of brilliance in innovation and new product development. In fact, rumor has it there are more consulting firms taking credit for Swiffer's development and success than can fit into the new Yankee Stadium.

The puzzling question remains: Why aren't there more examples of unabashed new product successes?

To gain insight, we recently implemented a research study exploring the factors that have an impact on a company's ability to succeed in the ever-important CPG growth domain.

Our survey, titled "Creativity in New Products, A Reality Check," queried 128 senior CPG marketers to gauge the challenges they face in growing their businesses as well as the strategies and thought processes they employ.

In planning the research, we theorized that new-product development efforts could be influenced by both strategic and tactical elements. Therefore, we developed a list of five strategic and five tactical pitfalls that could limit a company's ability to succeed.

Then, we asked participants to identify those issues that currently challenge them; those they addressed three years ago; those they expect to face three years from now; and which single factor occurs most frequently.

Based on our experience, we hypothesized that strategic issues would be the most relevant causes of new-product disappointment. We were way off base. We learned that, yes, there are strategic issues affecting the outcome of new product activity, but the more relevant issues focus on tactical elements—those things that can be addressed in the short term.

In fact, 63% of survey respondents identified tactical issues as the leading prohibitive factors in the development and launching of new products.

The need to satisfy stockholders (Wall Street) has had a profound effect on our ability to identify, develop, and launch new products as reflected in the lack of human capital, financial resources, and company competencies (another form of human capital). Strategically, we're confident we know where to "place our bets," it's just that financial limitations prevent us from doing it.

The following data illustrate that three of the strategic categories we identified have become less of an issue in the last three years and are expected to become even less relevant over the next three (or at least remain status quo). These include the identification of differentiated opportunities, identification of the key consumer insight, and development of a motivating consumer proposition.

Two issues that will become more relevant to marketers have to do with competitive challenges and the elasticity of brand equities. It appears our own tactical issues have caused a bit of paranoia that the competition is moving faster than we are. And, the research further suggests that brand equities (perhaps our most valuable asset) have reached their breaking point and can't go any further.

Tactically, while all but one factor (the lack of product technology) are expected to decline over time in the amount they can limit our success, several of them are working against higher levels of frustration today, as compared with three years ago.

For example, the lack of human capital and financial resources are more relevant today than they were three years ago, but they are projected to be less relevant in '10 than they were in '04. Why? Because new product development efforts are often disrupted or delayed in order to meet the immediate corporate financial obligation—we're responding to the financial needs of the current quarter.

What are we to do? Well, we're called "managers" for a reason. We need to manage the innovation process so that we can support the best, most promising initiatives, with the limited resources available to us.

And, when possible, convince our management that additional resources are prudent in order to realize the success that the Swiffer and iPod have enjoyed.

[Barry Curewitz is managing partner of Whole-Brain Brand Expansion (www.wbbe.biz); reach him at barry@wbbe.biz. ]

Get to the Point

Simple Evaluation Can Resolve an Ineffective Campaign
December 2007.


Though they're a great way to boost short-term sales of products and services, promotions can also lose their impact over time. Senior marketing consultant and MarketingProfs seminar presenter Michael Goodman suggests trying fresh techniques throughout the year. "See if you can develop a promotion that works better than whatever you did last time."To do this properly, however, you must study both the effectiveness and the efficiency of your promotions.

Boring, you say. Perhaps. "It may not be fun," says Goodman, "but if you don't figure out if a promotion is working, you could spend money you don't need to spend and miss the opportunity to develop a promotion that will exceed your goals."

The first step is to define your objectives and set clear measurement criteria. Armed with this knowledge, you will be better prepared to launch successful promotional campaigns, implement them more effectively—and ultimately achieve higher sales at a lower cost.

The Po!nt: Keeping track of how well your promotion works and the additional sales it generates may not be sexy, but it's the best way to get the maximum return on your promotion investment.

Get to the Po!nt

Use Promotions to Develop Relationships That Stick
December 2007.

"There are several reasons why smart marketers promote their products and seek short-term volume increases," claims senior marketing consultant and MarketingProfs seminar presenter Michael Goodman. And the reasons extend beyond a desire to immediately increase sales. There are a number of possible objectives for a promotion:

• Initial trial. The reality is that consumers constantly check what's available in the marketplace. Marketers may be willing to sell a trial product to attract new customers if they believe that "once the customer tries [it] they'll be back for more," says Goodman.
• Loyalty programs. In these days of seemingly never-ending new products on the market, the smart businesses reward their customers for repeat business. Loyalty programs range from airline frequent flyer programs to free coffee after 10 purchases. The cost is usually small in relation to the incremental sales provided.
• Awareness. Some promotions are designed to generate awareness of and familiarity with the brand. These often appear as relevant giveaways with a purchase, and may have the seller's name and logo emblazoned on the freebie. This way, the customer sees your name, even when they aren't using the product.

The Po!nt: Design your promotion with your objectives in mind. What works to maintain customer loyalty may not attract new customers.

Print Ads of the week - IV

Client: Sony / sub: Wega

Agency: Euro RSCG

Location: Buenos Aires

Print Ads of the Week - III

Client: Sony / Wide screen TV
Agency: Assyria
Location: Beijing, China.

Print Ads of the Week - II

Brand: Louis Vuitton

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather

Location: Worldwide

Print Ads of the Week - I

Brand: Louis Vuitton
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
Location: Worldwide

Word of Mouth Marketing

Dynamite Branding
December, 2007.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many is a video worth? And how many more is it worth if it arrives in your inbox from your best friend?

Some months ago I received one such video, accompanied by this note from a good friend of mine: "You just have to watch this one. It's from your home town!" I watched and was so surprised by what I saw that I immediately forwarded it to two other friends.
Titled "Dynamite Surfing," the apparently homegrown video features seven masked teens and a lake in the center of Copenhagen.

While one guy jumps into the small lake with a surfboard, the rest of the gang race for cover and one of the cohort makes for the bridge that spans the lake. As the surfer reaches the lake's center, the guy on the bridge lobs a lit cartoonesque bundle of dynamite into the lake. The subsurface explosion generates a massive wave in the peaceful lake, generally home to flocks of placid ducks. The surfer paddles ahead of the wave, catches it, and proves that you can go surfing in Copenhagen's city center. The scene is dramatic and very convincing, no matter how unlikely you know it to be.

But as transparent as it all seems to be, the truth behind the scene may surprise you. Contrary to appearances, this is not the work of a gang of like-minded friends with a cool idea and a hand-held camera.

"Dynamite Surfing" is the carefully crafted creation of a large, professional film crew. Weeks of preparation preceded the 60-second Quiksilver stunt, directed by one of the world's largest advertising agencies.

And, it turns out, I hadn't been sent the link by accident. An expert in spreading word-of-mouth branding on the Internet kick-started global interest by handpicking one thousand opinion leaders to send the link to. This ensured that I, and the other base group of recipients, would receive the ad unhindered by spam filters.

But just because the production was professional doesn't mean the creation, the message, and its delivery weren't authentic. No hi-tech cameras or lights, flashy backdrops, or highly paid models were used in the creation of this viral ad. Its authenticity and mystery propelled the viral to instant fame—12 million downloads the first three months—and even inspired headlines pleading for legislation against such outrages as youths being allowed to run about with explosives, vandalizing ornamental lakes, and shattering public peace.

Yes, the creation was very convincing.

So here it is: the new world of advertising. A discipline in which the professional is ostensibly replaced by the amateur; where the established media buyer is replaced with the consumer; and where provocation, like shock, surprise, and hilarity, are essential ingredients for capturing the attention of consumers who have an insouciant disinterest in the amount of money spent on an ad, but an active predilection for sensation.

As YouTube, Google and MySpace announce that video advertising will become a key driver in their future revenue strategies, the glitzy, perfect, anonymous ads we have been used to for years will have to change course. After all, we don't really watch these ads unless we're forced to. Ads need to be intriguing in some way; they need to urge us to watch them.

To achieve this, ads need to make an impact, leaving an impression in which the brand message is embedded. These creations required sophisticated thinking, a thorough knowledge of your consumers, and a sound appreciation of the culture that surrounds your product in the community.

Viral advertising will put your team to the test, its ultimate proof of success being that your creation is so fascinating that millions of people can't help but share the experience of it with their friends.

Would your current brand communication pass this test? Would it be able to run by itself, or does it need that million-dollar budget to fuel interest? If the latter sounds more like you, you'd better regroup, fast.

The brand-building turnaround is well on its way; and while Rome—or, rather, cyberspace—wasn't built in a day, once it stood it prospered for a thousand years.


[Martin Lindstrom (www.martinlindstrom.com) is the author of Brand Child and BRAND sense. ]

Know How - Experts Speak

Presentation Secrets for Social Communicators
December 2007.

Speaking and presenting is something I’m passionate about. Why? Because it’s another way to start conversations and build relationships. Or, it can be, if you think about how you present. Here are some recommendations on ways to turn your bullhorn into a party hat in the presentation world.

First, Defuse the Bomb
You have less than two minutes to set up your relationship with the audience. Your audience needs to LOVE you. They have to want you to succeed. And as part of this, they want you to succeed, because they’re hoping to learn something about themselves from you.

Let me highlight that so you take it home with you: People want to learn about THEMSELVES through what you talk about in your presentations.

SUPER SECRET TIP: Tell a funny story. Not a joke. A story. Tell it EARLY. Be as FUNNY as you can muster. Self-depricating humor helps, if you’re any good at that. Be the authority, but be human.

Sneak In With Questions
You need to sneak into your audience’s hearts and minds. I love asking questions, but not so much the hand-raiser types. Sure, I do that schtick. But if I’m trying to get you engaged early, I want to ask you questions that get you rummaging through your own internal autobiography? Why? Because I want you to be connected and engaged to what I’m saying. If I’m getting you to stir up internal memories, I’ve snuck in.

Think Television, Then Break It
We are a world of TV viewers. We are used to screens. Think HARD about this when planning your presentation. First, think about slides. Slides are PART of your TV screen. Know who the other part is? YOU. Now, if you and your slides are the presentation, which is more interesting? A big glowing screen? Or you hiding behind the podium.

Use Your Body
Learn how to move. First, don’t fidget. Second, step away from the podium (unless it’s a HUGE room and the mic is glued to the podium). Get around and move. Get CLOSER to your audience. BLEND for a moment with them. You’ve been to rock concerts. Crowds go CRAZY for contact with the star. And, uh, you’re the star, bub!duh!...whatever.

A Word About Slides
Never ever EVER use pre-built slide formats. Just don’t. Know why? Because they all look THE SAME. Don’t make my eyes bleed. Don’t make me sleep. Next point: bullets are for guns. Be creative. Think about it this way: if this were a TV commercial, would YOU watch? Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth is basically a slide show with Al talking and some dramatic music. Think that way and work backwards.

In format, don’t do title, agenda, name, payload, contact me. Know why? Because EVERYONE does that. Try mixing it up. Just a little. Think TV and all the various formats.

SUPER SECRET TIP: Find lots of great photos on Flickr (use advanced search to select Creative Commons photos, and add a slide near the end of your slideshow giving people attribution for their work).

Your Voice is Important
If you speak in a monotone voice with no stops and go on and on and use ums to cover the spaces where you don’t know what you’re going to say next, people will fall asleep almost immediately, and then the best you can hope is that they dream that you did a good job.

WAKE people UP! Be loud. Be soft. Use your voice with as much energy as a radio announcer or your favorite entertainment personality. Think on this. Practice it. Use shorter sentences. (Notice I do this when I blog?) And try hard to mix up HOW you’re talking about things. Ask questions. Make statements. Pause for breath. Kill “ums.”

Finish With Idea Handles
ALWAYS end a presentation with things people can run off and do. Verbs. Give people ways they can take your ideas, and use them. Giving ideas handles means letting people pick up your idea, take it home with them, and incorporate it into what they’re doing and thinking. It makes the whole time you’ve taken from everyone worth it.

And make sure folks know how to reach you, okay?

So now get going..the world is indeed your stage..!!

[In conversation with Joseph D'Callister from the Wellesly University for Communication.]