strategy

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Figuring Out F-Commerce

July 5, 2011 in Marketing, Media Services, Social Media by Jill at Omni | No comments

A few weeks ago, Social Commerce Today published an article about Taco Bell’s struggles to effectively utilize Facebook with their social media tactics to drive traffic to their stores. Their offer for free tacos for 6 million fans only reaped a 3% response rate. So much for the old adage that anything with “FREE” in the offer motivates buyers.

On the other  hand, P&G sold 1000 diapers in less than 60 minutes on Facebook. Free vs fee, and fee wins? What gives?

The author hit it on the head when they noted two major obstacles:

1) The Taco Bell offer lacked the offer of convenience. One had to actually get in their car and drive to Taco Bell to get it. Apparently in our increasingly couch potato society this constitutes hardship, and whether you agree with it or not, that’s the reality.

2) There was nothing exclusive about the offer. Taco Bell’s free taco was the same product one could get for 99¢. Not a big price differential especially since one had to print off the coupon to get the free taco. P&G’s diaper offer, on the other hand, was introducing a new product that could not be purchased anywhere else.

Social media is just as much about being exclusive (in terms of info and offers) as it is about being inclusive (dialogue with the public).

The takeaway? To use social media such as Facebook to motivate consumer behavior, make it easy, make it quick and make it exclusive.

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What’s Old is New – Social Media Back In The Golden Age of Advertising

June 20, 2011 in Client Services, Creative Services, Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized by Jill at Omni | No comments

Really interesting Harvard Business Review article showing how the basic premise of social networking’s value to marketing was outlined over five decades ago.  The author shares how Ernest Dichter, considered a major player in motivational research in the 60′s, conducted a study about word of mouth advertising.  He noted  how  companies should gather customer feedback, engage rather than just talk at their audience, and use dialog to move customers to buy. Sound familiar?

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Social Media – A Tool for Marketing or A Whole New Category?

June 16, 2011 in Marketing, Media Services, Social Media by Jill at Omni | No comments

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.

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Traditional + Social Media = Reality

May 16, 2011 in Creative Services, Marketing, Media Services by Jill at Omni | No comments

For most of recent memory, panic about advertisers leaving the stalwart network and cable advertising in droves to move their budgets into social media have been the ad industry’s words of warning.  However, a recent article in the New York Times tells a different story of how traditional media can successfully partner with, rather than compete with, social media.

Which is how it should be, right?

Marketers ‘get’ that one tool does not make a marketing strategy, but rather, works with all the tools to get the most bang for the client’s buck. It’s good to see that even on the mega-million ad budget front, everyone is learning to play nice together!

Check out the article “TV Networks Expect A Jump In Spending On Commercials“.

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Keep Your Face in the Place

April 25, 2011 in Marketing, Marketing in Management by Jill at Omni | No comments

These were the wise words from a respected boss years ago. He was speaking to the issue of improving sales, but as Omni advises clients on marketing integration WITHIN the workplace as well as outside of it, we find this maxim to hold true as a leadership goal. When leaders can keep ‘their face in the place’ and engage their team, it can reap big rewards.

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review supports this, and explains that it is not just about in-person, all-staff meetings, but reaching out in a variety of ways to help keep the connection between leadership and staff strong. Some ideas include regular emails to staff from senior team members,  a leader’s blog or tweets, and just being present in the place and acknowledging the team. Maximize those marketing moments, and remember, those moments can be small but mighty!

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What To Do While Waiting For The Economic Turnaround

July 7, 2010 in Marketing by Jill at Omni | No comments

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!

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Design Saving Media?

May 22, 2009 in Creative Services, Marketing, Media Services by Jill at Omni | No comments

lifesaverOne of my new marketing colleagues, Steve Dilley (a motion graphics designer) recently sent me a link for a video that showcased a young (well, young by my terms) designer from Poland who has made incredible changes in the communications field in eastern Europe. Jacek Utko is a Polish newspaper designer whose revamping of newspapers in Eastern Europe  have not only won world renown and awards, but have also helped increase circulation of those publications up to 100%. His discussion is “Can good design save the newspaper?”

Jacek has transformed boring, unread newspapers in the former Eastern bloc, by the redesign and re-thinking of the content. These papers have achieved STELLAR increases in circulation (translation: more money).

Design saving a media tool? Design saving a business industry many have said is beyond saving? In Bulgaria, Estonia, and Poland? Something to ponder – how smart strategic marketing and design is changing the fortunes (literally) of business. We hear a lot lately about major newspapers failing in the U.S.  Just wonder what would change if really innovative and smart design with marketing entered into the prescription.

“Design coherent with strategy and content can be used as a tool to completely change the product, the process…” Wise words from Utko.

Utko notes that design was only PART of the process. He explained how he borrowed from Architecture regarding how form and function make a strategy (hey, there’s that ‘strategy’ word again!). The story itself is worth watching – it is inspirational if nothing else. 

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