Tag Archives for adage

Developing your insight feed is critical to being relevant

This is the sixth in a series of short posts related to The CMO Agenda research. Informed by recent CMO conversations and CMG Partners‘ collective experience helping top marketers develop marketing strategy, we have compiled a list of seven ideas or jump starters for further conversation. These are meant to spark discussion, ideas, and action as we all enter a difficult 2009.

Whether developing new products or looking to increase loyalty, having a continuous stream of customer insight that draws on many different sources is important. This feed needs to be constant and plentiful. Technology is making it easier to find new ways to gather and make use of customer insight with limited resources.

Customer research and voice of the customer programs like councils and feedback meetings are the more traditional ones many marketers employ.  Marketing organizations should not forget the many simple everyday ways to accomplish this via tools like email, google alerts, RSS feeds, Twitter or talking with the services or sales representatives. The important thing is to make it an integral part of your day / week.

What can happen if you are not watching/listening?

Many should not forget the Motrin campaign that had so much twitter backlash over a weekend after the launch of a new “hip” mommy ad that the parent campaign pulled the ad. Don’t let this happen to you! Ensure your insight and listening post are capturing as much feedback as possible.

An example of a company doing this well is Dell with their IdeaStorm.com, where users generate ideas for new features or often irritating sales and marketing practices or service policies. The community can then vote on them which helps Dell focus and prioritize.

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Time for marketers to get religion? Secrets to engaging consumers

In reading Adage’s CMO Strategy Column, “How Apple, Others Have Cultivated Religious Followings“, by Martin Lindstrom, I found myself again pulling on my knowledge studying psychology and sociology in my college years. Martin lays out nine components of that powerful brands share with religion in the article. I also found this blog post by Adam Singer, Marketing Lessons To Learn From Religion, that shares additional ideas.

The common themes here are that religion, for believers, occupies as larger portion of our thoughts and their connections to the world around them in the images and associations they make. When you add the fact that humans are by nature are social, we then understand that groups with similar beliefs will form and reinforce and strengthen each others behaviors and beliefs. Achieving this is for some brand/product managers is the pinnacle feat.

Now think about the brands/products that fall in this category…

Lindstrom’s article highlights Apple, Harley-Davidson, and Guinness. All are powerful brands with strong followings. They are not just strong because of a nifty logo or great product, but they become identifiers for a person and how they see the world and how the world sees them (e.g. “I love Macs”, “I live Harley”, “My drink is Guinness”).  Also worth noting, these products and brands “serve” their followers by making their lives easier or granting them pure joy.

Takeaways for marketeers:

Religion is a useful framework to look at in how to drive higher engagement from consumers. Please be careful that you truly understand and are committed to the absolute need to “serve” your followers.  This servitude has to be at the forefront of your activities vs. monetizing the relationship. Serve them first and pray that they will thank you for it later. Lindstrom and Singer have additional suggestions and ideas to ponder in their respective article and post.

Finally, a video that highlights cult research and transferability to brand building…enjoy.

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The transition from one-way to two-way communication in marketing

Word-of-mouth is powerful

Word-of-mouth is powerful

Reading “A New Odd Couple: Google, P&G Swap Workers to Spur Innovation” on WSJ.com and attending the Internet Summit 08, there is a new shift in traditional marketing thinking. The old school of thoughts was that a marketer was the beacon or held the megaphone to tout the message to the silent masses. While this still happens in some mediums (e.g. TV), it is no longer a one-way street entirely. Via social networks, blogs, microblogging (e.g. twitter), and mobile communications, consumers have the chance to talk back and in some cases unite for the benefit or detriment of a company, brand, product or service. One recent example for consideration is the Motrin Mom campaign.

I think this trend is interesting, but it is not a new concept! It is human nature to tell others about good and bad experiences and to help those we know whether it is find a plumber or buy detergent. What is new are that tools and technology have “democratized influence”, as Tim Schigel, CEO of ShareThis, stated at the Internet Summit 08. It is now easier and more efficient to spread word-of-mouth and people are now using these tools as their source for information in purchase decisions whether online of offline.

For more visit the Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association 101 site.

Choose organic product placements or your brand suffers

Lindstroms research focused on the brain.

Lindstrom's research focused on the brain.

… well Ford’s did related to their American Idol sponsorship/placement based on a recent study by Martin Lindstrom which looks at brain function. This finding is highlighted in the CMO Strategy column on Adage.

Martin describes that both Coca-Cola and AT&T increased brand equity but Ford brand equity declined and Lindstrom infers that this is due to poor context of the placement (or that it was inorganic and maybe forced into the show storyline) on the popular TV show American Idol.

My synopsis:

I agree with the research finding, how could you not. Maybe that is the point. It is good to have some proof in an area that is more art than science.

I had a client last year that was trying to formalize their product placement strategy and measurement. Through analyzing their data that spanned from traditional recall and brand studies to sales, CMG Partners came to roughly the same conclusion that organic placements perform better.

In addition, we found that the placements for placement sake under-perform placements coupled with advertising in the spots following an in-show placement. Further, this effect was even more impactful if the ad was related to the show not just a random 30 or 60 second spot.

Finally, as the research and my work points out the secret, in addition to how a placement is executed, is selecting the right placement/sponsorship. Below are criteria I would recommend marketers use:

  • Brand Linkage/Strategic Fit: Is the property consistent with the brand essence?  Does it deliver opportunities that are consistent with its objectives and strategic approach?
  • Target Fit/Relevance: Is the property relevant with key consumer segments?
  • Relationship Building: Does activation of the property provide means of delivering added value and interaction between the brand and its customers?
  • Drives Sales: Can the association deliver opportunities that help drive sales or loyalty?
  • Exclusiveness: Does the property provide an opportunity for exclusive/”only from” content?
  • Activation: Can the property be activated across multiple elements of the marketing mix to generate necessary customer excitement in order to accomplish the marketing objectives?
  • Scope and Scale: Does the association deliver global vs. national vs. regional scope or scale? Does this align with your marketing and brand strategy?
  • Cost/Efficiency: Can this association deliver against those objectives at a reasonable/appropriate cost?
  • Sustainable Equity: Does the property provide a multi-year or multi-event marketing and relationship-building platform vs. a one-off event?

For some comic relief, I was telling a colleague about this post and she sent me this 30 Rock product placement clip. Thanks Meghan!

Obama a great marketing success story?

A friend I work with, thanks Morgan, forwarded this very interesting Adage post, “What Marketers Can Learn From Obama’s Campaign“. The post breaks down the Obama brand campaign in a very logical way and I agree with many if not all of the points, but…

Another friend, thanks Karl, sent me this note:

“So last night, I got to thinking…did Oprah shape this election?  Before putting her weight behind Obama (right before his surprise victory in the Iowa caucus) Hillary was the clear favorite…without Oprah would it have been Hillary – McCain last night?

Has one individuals social influence moved past consumable goods and services to influencing politics at the highest level?”

Equally powerful thoughts and opinions on what shapes success to create the Obama mega brand. I think the right answer is a little of both. My friends at CMG Partners are working on a new framework for measuring a brand and I think once that is closer to publication I will share some of the ideas here as a build on this but the reality is that a brand is built by any one thing. It is built from a sustained effort to deliver on your message in every touchpoint with the goal of delivering on your brand promise.

As for Obama, it is brand delivery time!!!!

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