Absolutely the next frontier in marketing is Mobile. It's happening now so be prepared. Prepare your marketing plans and prepare for the onslaught. A few tips and things to remember: ... ... << MORE >>

Sears announced recently it's intent to begin to distribute it's private label Craftsman tools to Ace Hardware. Interesting because retailers use private label brands as a draw to try and create brand equity and loyalty for their stores. Good move or not? 

        

Does it get any better than two of my favorites colliding? Lady Gaga and Marketing. Much has been written about her success with social media as a best practice to grow her fan and revenue base. She absolutely has embraced the medium to work for her. But her success really isn't due to just social media. I believe her success is due to three factors: << MORE >>

Not enough is said about managing expectations. Your customers will fill in the blanks for you. ... << MORE >>

Most likely, marketers are aware of the next big wave (or band wagon) we are going to experience: Mobil Marketing. That is probably not a big surprise. However, my husband, a finance guy,shared an 'Early Look" article from a financial analyst, Rebecca F. Runkle, Managing Director at ResearchEdge stating the following<< MORE >>

I'm compelled to write about building relationships through marketing because I don't think most companies really get right.

Harvard Business Review recently posted an article on Brand Authenticity titled 'The Downside of Branding'. In a nut-shell, the author takes issue with attaching labels to brands that are not accurate but aspirational. I have had experience over and over with companies branding with messages they hope to be true, but actually are not.  If building relationships is about TRUST, customer and potential customers cannot trust a brand or firm that has in-accurate messaging or a product that doesn't at least meet expectations.

I'll make my point on marketers building relationships with a basic friendship analogy.

You first meet a person at an party. They seem charming and you have things in common. You both really like fine art and cooking. You may want to see them again. Marketing relevance: this is breaking through the clutter with a message that is appealing. Building awareness.

You keep in touch with this person, on occasion, and hope to see them again at another gathering. Some of these friends like to keep in touch by phone. Some by email. Some in person. Marketing relevance: Ask how the customer wants communication.

You see this person again and realize, you do have a lot in common. You share the same values and you now want to meet out for lunch regularly. Marketing relevance: This is engagement. More relevant messages that draw a link to why the prospect should want to do business with you. They enjoy your company.

What if; however, upon meeting that person a second time, that fine art you thought they liked, was 'Dogs playing poker'. Further, you find when they said they loved to cook, well, microwaves don't count. Your expectations are let-down. You don't have an accurate picture of this person and may be hesitant to believe them (trust them).  You're finding you really don't have anything in common. For marketers: You have not met expectations. Your credibility is shot. The next time you want to communicate with this person, they may not listen; and you have to work harder for their attention. When you keep trying harder you may just annoy them.

If you send out messages that are wrong, you will attract the wrong target. If your product isn't right for your target yet you keep hammering that target, that doesn't work either.

Social Media success is basically finding customers who have strong feelings about you and spreading that word. In the above scenario, you can try and try and try with social media tactics. If the product and message don't mesh or if your credibility is shot, you will spin your wheels.

Unsettling is there are many companies out there in this situation wondering why they can't get great referrals or word of mouth. It  isn't always easy to keep an outside perspective and get away from internal rhetoric. 

Make your product great in a way that is different from competitors and in ways customers appreciate. Be honest. Then tell people why they need you and what problems you solve. Don't lie or embellish.

Trust me.
Jackie

        

A good friend of mine, Jim Matorin, Business Catalyst, founder of SMARTKETING called me yesterday.  We had not connected for a while.  Twitter was one of the main reasons Jim called.  I'll share some of the highlights of our discussion as this seems to be a regular conversation I have and is cause for much speculation regarding revenue models of various forms of Social Media. How long can they last?

Jim Watched a Charlie Rose rerun over the weekend.  An interesting interview conducted back in February with Evan Williams, co-founder & CEO of Twitter. Interview Link It reminded me that you and I have not talked about Twitter lately.  What is your latest spin?

Jackie Twitter seems more relevant to businesses and the ability to share information, versus a social application like Facebook’s updates. That has been somewhat validated by surveys taken where people find information links to be most valuable. How about you Jimmy?

Jimmy Two things resonate for me right now.  First, I think Twitter is still in its infancy, a toddler, thus evolving.  Twitter’s potential is great, especially as it relates to business.  It will be a great tool for companies to have real time conversation with their consumers.  Second, on a personal note, I am totally fascinated by people’s need to connect with other people, exhibit transparency, even if they are total strangers.  As a result, Twitter, along with Facebook are having a major impact on modern relationships.  I find today’s relationships more ephemeral compared to those we formulated prior to the advent of social media.  There is no substitution for face time when it comes to connecting.

Jackie Agree face to face is still key to formulating one-on-one relationships. Social networks enable you to find someone with like interests or someone you may want to reach out to and meet in person (what a concept) to add to your circle of real friends. Beyond that, social media can be viewed as entertainment and education.

Jimmy At what point do you think Twitter will make money?

Jackie I’ve always thought Twitter’s value is more a business application versus ‘friend’ application, like Facebook.  Twitter has figured this out because I have read they are launching a metrics product.   I can see Twitter also trying to model themselves after Google and offer something like ‘paid search’ too.

Jimmy We are on the same page.  Based on what I have read, Twitter is working on how they will make money via its information seeking capabilities activities rather than advertising...

Jackie We must be reading the same feeds.

Jimmy You’re a consumer marketing guru.  Think about the power of providing some form of detailed metrics as it relates to tweeting a targeted audience.  For example, if a company launches a new product, Twitter should be able to provide some form of measurement: tweets by market, by time of day, etc.  It would be extremely powerful if they could slice and dice it by demographic as well.

Jackie Let me build on that.  The fundamental question is what people find valuable about Twitter and how to enhance their experience for a revenue generating application.  Google is about information, so it makes sense they offer paid programs to get relevant information to users. Facebook is about social interaction which is why I believe advertisement on Facebook seems less than stellar.  People do not go to Facebook for information (generally), but for interaction. User groups and fan groups are more effective on Facebook.

Twitter’s value is in the ability to share information, a lot of information, from sources people deem credible as they choose to follow.  I do believe an analytic revenue model makes sense; making sure companies are connecting with people looking for their information.  I wonder if in this analytic model, Twitter would offer a company (or blogger) the ability to ‘ask’ someone to follow them.  Tweet Deck has a field of ‘recommended’ Twitters.  Perhaps companies can pay to be on that list based on key terms. At any rate, eventually there will be a consolidation of social media networks. SM is new and growing like any other industry in the growth years. Eventually, there is only so much room and time to get on a person’s consideration set. I see things coming together.

Jimmy What are your thoughts about Twitter building an advertising revenue model?

Jackie If the advertising model is similar to a banner ad on Facebook, I think users would find that intrusive.  If it’s advertising as in paid search (with limits), that might work.  What do you think?

Jimmy I apologize Jackie.  I would like to share my thoughts, but I have to go now.  I need to follow Andy Roddick’s latest tweets to see what is going on at the U. S. Open today.  I will speak to you later.

Please feel free to weigh in.
Jackie

        

If you have not taken advantage of the 'weakened' economy to revisit your corporate identity and messaging, now might be a good time. I've been following Abercrombie & Fitch over the last 10 months as a case study in over-estimating brand value. I still hope their strategy pans out in the long-run as they stick to their guns. But my sense is, they do not have a clear guage on how strong or weak their brand may be. Especially as people downsize and demand more for their dollar. Abercrombie has tons of substitute product competition. When times are good, it's easy to get lax in brand identity and the quality of your product/service. What stands out in bad times are the weak. While I may not be the target audience, it's difficult to know the difference (in a few words) between Abercrombie, their sister brand Hollister, and Aeropostale. All I know is Abercrombie is more expensive.

So, with this in mind, I offer 5 tips for improving (and validating) your brand message:

1) Stop using words from within the organization. When working at a company, you become ingrained in their language. And it's typically techie speak. Or functional terms. Ask yourself, what does that mean to our customers and more importantly, what is in it for them.

2) Have you validated or re-validated your value? (Sidenote: do NOT use the word 'value' in your messages. It's watered down because it is overused and value is different for everybody). I worked with a client on their brand identity. I asked "Why do customers work with you instead of the competition". They delivered a series of 10 benefits; however, they had not actually asked the customers. It was their internal thinking. I proceeded to interview (by phone) their key customers to discover only a few of those benefits were real. In the process, we learned another key benefit the company totally overlooked. Armed with this new information, we were able to solidify how my client solved their customers problem better than the competition and articulate from the customer's perspective.

Another thing happens when you do this work: You discover if you have slipped over time with something that was a benefit and is no longer valid. Or where competition is beating you.

3) Stop writing by committee. Brainstorming, innovating, new ideas are all GREAT with input from all functions of an organization. Creating brand identity and messaging does not. I repeat DOES NOT. The more people involved with messages and design, the more watered down the idea. Marketing's job is to keep an outside perspective and bring that into the organization. I've seen great ideas become vanilla with too many chefs. And chefs that tripped over themselves trying to sound so smart and academic, when really, the customer had no idea what the fancy words meant. Push back when it gets to this point.

4) Get your point across in 12 seconds. If someone comes to your website and doesn't 'get-it' right away, they will not waste time trying to figure you out.

5) True test: Get open feedback. Don't be afraid to ask someone outside of your organization (doesn't even have to be a customer) whether they understand your message right away. I know it hurts when someone says "I don't get it" after you spend so much time crafting a design or message. But sometimes all that time you spend looking at something takes your eye off a first impression. You don't see it because you know what it is supposed to say.

I know other marketers have been in this place before. For those of you non-marketers, think of these tips the next time you insist on voting for a logo.

Would love to hear your comments.
Jackie

        

Are you tired of the hysteria of articles claiming that Twitter is such a must-have tool for your survival on Earth? I didn't say that. James Carlini said it in his blog post at Midwest Business.com.  Here is a further excerpt:

"Did I offend those social media experts who are claiming to be world-renown Twitter experts? With the tool (let alone the concept) only being around for a couple years at best, I’m surprised at so many people claiming guru status when Twitter has yet to find its full potential. Are some universities thinking of offering a doctorate in social media tools?"
 
Fired up yet? I am as his comments are a bit short sighted. It is a marketers job to understand how consumers/customers are getting information. How do they want to communicate or whether they want to communicate.

First, is Twitter a fad? Twitter.com may go away since I still wonder about a true revenue model. However, the technology is here to stay. Take Facebook's purchase of FriendFeed as an example. If people are communicating, marketers need to be there to understand the utility. Facebook even snuck up on businesses who have, ever since, been trying to hire those who understand the community and how to use it.

Second, do Twitter experts exist? Well, yes. In as much as we know about the value of Twitter today, marketers can help companies understand the value and determine whether the tactic fits in their 'toolbox'. Twitter will evolve in form and utility over time. I would want to align with the marketers who have been in the trenches in order to capitalize on the technology when it becomes relevant for my business.

As a marketing consultant and professor, I would not be doing my clients or students justice if I did not keep up on the latest of everything. More importantly is my ability to use that information to determine whether it fits the client's objectives and reaches their target market.

Twitter is NOT for right for every business. I also don't think I would refer Carlini to help with marketing strategies to anyone soon.

You don't have to agree with me, but wondering what do you think?

        

I recently had a meeting with a fast-growing B2B company who asked for my suggestion on selling add-on services to clients.  The conversation went a bit like this:

Me: What are you doing now?
Response: They send some emails, engage in social marketing, and are thinking about new mobile technology. Me: What do you do with your emails?
Response: We send notices about new products but it doesn’t work so well.
Me: What do you do for your sales and client service teams?
Response: They have resources to sell anything to their clients.

Me: Ah. Do you do segmentation for them to determine the right product for the right client?
Response: No, but that’s a good idea.
Me: That should be your first step.

Marketers love fancy tactics and new media, which is great, but sometimes forget about the sales teams. I think this is beause they are treated as silos in many organizations and perhaps marketing assumes what sales needs. But the fact is, if your marketing strategies and tactics are not assisting sales in some way, you should pack up your marketing bag and go home.

Having started my career in Business Development, I know first-hand what is valuable and what is garbage. A few years back a senior marketing executive with a large CPG company told me, “We don’t like sales involved in marketing because sales people don’t think out of the box”. Really?  And how effective are those out-of-the-box ideas at helping sales people generate revenue? I remember the wasted material we had at Frito-Lay on these cute ideas. Much of those great ideas ended up in wasteland. At another company (which I won’t name), I had several disagreements with my corporate marketing counterparts on the value of their ‘fancy ideas’. At the risk of being the naysayer, sometimes I would let it go and these ‘cool’ ideas were implemented. Guess what? The sales people would tell me in confidence, “What is that stuff? How much did we waste on that”? Thankfully, more attention is currently being placed on sales and marketing alignment.

Think about this: Utopia would be if a company had a live sales person able to go one-on-one with every customer and prospect. Since this isn’t financially realistic, companies need marketing to assist the process and break-down barriers.

What’s the point of this? My first recommendation to the B2B Company above was this: Good old target marketing with your client service team. Use the non-sexy marketing analytics first to help your client service team profile, segment and target the best client to the best product. Next, determine where the client is in the sales cycle from awareness to conviction and create talking points and offers matched to each step. This assists sales by providing focus and the best opportunity. You also become relevant to the client because you’ve done your homework by pinpointing a product/service they actually may need. Less noise in the communication. Then, using this information, marketers can help sales teams understand how to more effectively target prospects with this profile information.

Not rocket science, just a call out to marketers to ask yourself how every dollar you spend is assisting the sales process.

Let me know what you think.

Jackie