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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Mr. Peanut is making a comeback. For those of us seasoned enough to remember the original Mr. Peanut (hey, I had a Mr. Peanut Peanut Butter maker when I was 5) this is a nice and comfortable flashback. But will the new Mr. Peanut campaign resonate with a younger crowd? The ad firm thankfully did put a gray flannel suit on him, although being au naturale in the new millenium is not really as risque as it might have been 3o years ago.
Going old-school is a risk for any advertiser as you have to walk a fine line between dull and outdated or ‘new retro’, as this is being coined now.
Let us know what you think of the new and improved Mr. Peanut – clever and intriguing, or just a desperate attempt to resurrect what was once a classic campaign icon?
Read more at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/business/media/08adco.html?src=busln
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.
Recession, sell-offs, layoffs, closings, bailouts – is it a reason for businesses to despair or an opportunity for a second chance? It is often said that Americans are by far one of the most optimistic cultures on the globe, although it would not necessarily seem that way if you polled a few friends these days. But even with the prolonged negative news, at some point we just have to say, “Okay, enough of this, let’s pick up the pieces and get things back on track!” It does not mean instant success or magical profitability or zero unemployment. It just means putting on a new attitude and a creating a reason to keep plugging along.
Most business owners have experienced painful operational trimming and tough decisions in the past year. I have heard clients and other business owners discuss their tactics to refocus, shift their processes and alter methods for business development to keep up with the new dynamics of doom and gloom. It is hard to keep the proverbial stiff upper lip when you are bombarded with messages about the seemingly endless consequences of financial failures. Marketing, like all service businesses, tends to be a line item that is initially vulnerable to being cut. However, strategic-thinking clients see it as a tool to help them achieve stability and loyalty even in challenging times.
So, what does this mean for marketing and business? Absolutely everything. It means that once we recover from the constant barrage of this new world of cutbacks and lagging economic indicators, businesses have an opportunity to emerge stronger, more attentive, and more focused than ever before. Maybe budgets are being trimmed, but being cost-efficient and strategic in spending marketing dollars is always a good idea. Maybe it is a little harder to figure out what customers want now, but it is beneficial to determine what customers really need from you to help align your business and investment of time and resources.
Focus, strategic planning, consistent messaging and dedication to customers– these are all cornerstones of successful marketing.
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Thoughts on advertising, marketing and graphic design from Omni Communications Group in Springfield, Illinois
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