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I have noticed an uptick in some of the marketing forums I review, where debates about defining social media are taking main-stage. What’s interesting is how long we seem to have been talking about this “new trend”, although I would propose that this does not really qualify as a “trend” any longer; it’s part of our daily experience.
Consider it was only a few decades (and several questionable fashion trends) ago that there was no such thing as TV advertising. Today, TV advertising is not discussed as separate from marketing, it is discussed and evaluated, (along with all other promotional options), as one part in the potential marketing mix for a client. It seems time to make social media more like that.
Rather than create entire plans around only social media, or talk about it as an add-on, it would seem more beneficial to clients if we simply treat social media as one more marketing tool, evaluated for how it can help the client along with every other marketing tactic. Social media, broadcast tv and cable advertising, radio, outdoor, direct mail, e-blasts, websites, blogs, tweets, facebook, interactive, display – the list grows, the opportunities increase. The challenge is selecting what works best for clients, not just relying on the latest trend, which in the end, may very well be the right tool.
A friend sent these to me and they feature European product bags. I love how these are made to just be fun, attention-getting, but also used for cause-marketing. To whomever created these – great concept!
Omni’s Executive Vice President Laura Nestler is profiled in the latest issue of the Springfield Business Journal about her career in marketing and advertising. Take a look here or be sure to read the September 2010 issue.
Article courtesy Springfield Business Journal
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marketing
A recent article questioned whether social media is producing business leads. It has been suggested that “looking at social media services like Twitter and Facebook strictly as lead generation tools might be counter-productive, especially for companies that focus on business-to-business sales”.
At Omni, we like to refer to clients’ marketing programs as their ‘tool box’. There are many tools you can use, but just as you would not use a hammer when a screwdriver is needed, neither do all marketing tools work for all clients or all situation.
You have to determine what each tool is used for and what result you want from it. And you have to understand how the tools work – there is passive marketing and aggressive marketing. Some marketing simply creates under the radar buzz (a poster in your store’s window), some marketing efforts shout at you (TV or Radio Ads), some just want to be friends (Facebook).
Know what you want to achieve, what is possible with the media you have chosen to deliver the message, and how you want your target audience to react. But then there is that measurement issue… senior decision makers want to know if the dollars going out translate into dollars coming in to the company – ROI.
With a specific time-sensitive event, such as a clearance sale this weekend only, you can measure the effectiveness of your advertising by how many people visit your store and asking them how they heard about the sale. That is an easy way to measure, although not 100% accurate – many times it is the layering effect of multiple media channels and the one that is recalled may just have been the last one seen. Most marketers would cringe to hear the reason a customer came in was because of the giant inflatable monster at the store entrance!
But social media is different. First you have to accept social media is not a direct means to simply sell – it is designed to create a conversation and become a brand builder for your organization. It is an ideal way to show your service to customers. Ultimately, those actions will reap benefits, much like the top-notch greeter or receptionist who makes every visitor feel like royalty. Those are marketing moments you can build on that are part of the toolbox, but they are not the only tool.
Social media is not the same as traditional forms of marketing; the process for engagement and contact is different. But, it still is highly valuable in how it can develop new opportunities and new loyal customers, it just takes time.
If you use social media with the expectation of making a sale or generating a qualified direct lead, it can seem counter-productive. However, if you understand how to fold social media into a marketing toolbox and use this tool for the specific purpose of creating a connection with your customers, it will build your foundation and your brand.
I came across a phrase recently that caused some professional self-reflection: “Don’t waste a good recession.” Consider the deeper meaning behind those few words.
Everyone is waiting, watching, wondering anxiously when the next shoe will fall, or even if it will fall. We have seen some businesses pull up the welcome mat and huddle behind their walls waiting out the storm. We have watched others take advantage of the recession and see the glass as half full.
While we do not subscribe to the philosophy of overspending wildly on marketing, (yes, you heard it from a marketing firm!), history tells us that those who continue to spend strategically on their marketing efforts will not just stay in the game, but be far ahead of their competitors when the economic pendulum swings back.
But that is the key concept: Spend Strategically. Don’t waste a good recession on doing the same old things the same old way; work with people who can give you a fresh perspective on targeting your customers.
Basically, all the things you ignore when you are too busy in the good times are things you can and should do now – upgrade software, revamp your website, overhaul your internal processes, conduct research about your industry and your target markets.
Take advantage of the downturn and make use of these extraordinary times to become an extraordinary business!
Omni Communications Group is proud to be celebrating its eighteenth anniversary this week. Established on July 5, 1992 at the Springfield home of one of its three founding partners, the marketing, advertising and public relations firm expanded quickly by providing all-inclusive service to clients. Marketing demands evolved, clientele increased, and new employees with expertise in innovative systems joined the team. Operations relocated, first to an office on South Fifth Street, and in 1997 to Omni’s current location at Two South Old State Capitol Plaza, adjacent to the stately and historic Old State Capitol Building.
Today, Omni Communications Group has demonstrated experience and expertise in many industries, including business to business, manufacturing, associations, not-for-profits, health care, retail, financial and technology. Its broad array of marketing services includes strategic marketing plans, market research, branding development, design, advertising, custom website development, media planning and placement, event promotions and public relations.
Congratulations to all at Omni and keep up the great work!
New Omni print advertising: ideas that move your business forward – web design, advertising, branding.
Laura Nestler has recently been promoted to Executive Vice President at Omni Communications Group in Springfield, IL. Her newly acquired managerial responsibilities include the cultivation of client relationships with the advertising agency along with providing guidance and support to the entire agency staff in a supervisory capacity. Nestler will continue with her previous responsibilities in client services, working closely with Omni clientele to guide marketing projects from strategic planning through creative development and completion.
Congratulations to Laura after many years of dedicated service to Omni!
I am among those who watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. (Sorry sports fans.) I am usually under-whelmed, and this year is no exception. The hype and dollars spent just don’t live up to the reality. What I found was an overwhelming percentage of spots devoid of any real creativity and meaningful marketing messages, instead giving in to stereotypes of men, women, and generally stupid behavior. Don’t even get me started on the bipolarity of Anheuser Busch doing ads about partying once Budweiser pops into the picture, and then flashing a tiny “drink responsibly” tagline on the screen at the end. There were a few bright spots, namely the Google “Parisian Love” search ad; it told a great story while demonstrating its functionality and benefits of the product (brilliant marketing!).
Makes me long for the days of Apple computer’s unveiling of the Mac computer. That was ground-breaking, trend-setting, interesting, and actually made the audience seem a little higher up on the intelligence scale than ‘beer=party=stupid’. And while I initially found the Doritos’s dog bark collar spot funny, it still ultimately poked fun at a stereotypical jerky guy getting his comeuppance after teasing a dog. The beaver ad for Monster.com was funny and cute, but don’t we always see ads with humanized critters? Nothing new here.
I’m not sure if it’s the large billion-dollar clients calling the shots and directing financially at-risk advertising agencies to do these commercials, or just a total dearth of real intelligent marketing by these firms. But I have hope that a continuously challenging economy will actually make people turn away from cheap stereotypical advertising and do something smart and interesting. Like Google did. There’s always Super Bowl 45, right?
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