Archive for 2011
Brandtailers has spent the last six months working on some amazing new online video technology that we will be introducing next spring. Although we can’t talk about it yet. working on this project continuously reminds us that consumers’ most precious commodity is still their time, and whatever can be viewed online vs. read online in a blog post (like this one – oops) is going to become even more popular in 2012 and beyond.
Most of us know that YouTube is now the second most powerful search engine in the world after Google. (Gee, who owns it?) But it’s more than that. The powers that be at Google had the foresight to realize that just as books turn into movies, reading content online will morph into viewing it. Let’s face it, we all prefer to take the easy way out. The day will come before too long when people say, “Remember when we had to READ things online?”
With this in mind, we’d like you to enjoy our semi-freaky Brandtailers holiday video-card, which just goes to prove there’s a reason why the U.S. Postal service is going out of business. We’ve always been somewhat known for our interesting holiday cards, normally shot, printed, processed and mailed averaged about $4,500. However this cost us a whopping $52.70. Welcome to the new world!
Following is a post we wrote in January of this year, predicting Social Media would end up looking very different at the end of 2011, mainly due to the change in interest from quantity of online relationships to the quality of them. Were we right? Read the post below and let us know what you think:
JANUARY 2011:
So, the new year is just about here and you’re putting some last minute adjustments on your 2011 marketing strategy. Looking back on 2010′s social media efforts, you realize you spent a lot of time trying to gain significant Twitter followers, Facebook fans, 5-Star Yelp Reviews and Foursquare Mayors. Well? What did it do for you? Can you show it brought you more business? Did your brand awareness significantly increase? Chances are, probably not.
For what it’s worth, you’re not alone. This whole social media thing is in its infancy. Just like the marketers who were trying to figure out the best ROI for television advertising in the early 1950′s, we’re trying to figure out how social media will help us sell more thingamajigs.
That being said, we doubt as much emphasis will be put on quantity in 2011 as it will be on quality. The assumption that 10,000+ Facebook fans is an automatic opportunity for marketing success is already an old-hat. More Facebook users are “hiding” irrelevant content on their own Facebook feeds than ever before. When asked why, over 90% say it’s due to too much irrelevant content coming at them.
The next twelve months will be a fascinating time of watching (and helping) marketers fine-tune their online brand connections to the qualitative associations that will have a positive impact on bottom lines. Having the biggest number of potential customers will be replaced by having the most reliable number of quality customers. It’s an age old process of marketing substantiation. The only thing that changes is the communication tool. Yesterday it was TV. Today it’s Facebook and friends. Tomorrow? Who knows – stay tuned. It’s right around the corner.
When I saw Rick Perry’s Presidential Debate “Oops” re-played on the news this week, I cringed. Not because I was concerned for Rick Perry (this is a non-political blog post), but because of how easily I compared Perry’s “Oops” to the average commercial on TV today.
Think about it…
Governor Perry’s self-promotion opportunity was experienced by millions of TV viewers, just like a typical broadcast advertisement. Perry was using the time and place to convince millions of citizens to choose him over his competition, again just like a typical broadcast advertisement. Viewers may not have expected Perry to be great, but they didn’t expect him to be embarrassing. The same holds true for the average modern day TV advertisement. Perry destroyed his powerful self-promotion opportunity by coming to the party unprepared to give consumers what they really want – trust. The same holds true for most commercials.
If we take the time to analyze why we use our remote controls so aggressively during commercials, it’s because most ads embarrass us with their lack of consideration for our intelligence. Even more disappointing, the main reason today’s bad commercials aren’t getting Perry’s current level of negative press is because we’ve become immune to them. We expect Perry to deliver presidential capabilities in a debate, but we don’t expect commercials to deliver influential messages that make us want to respond.
In the movie Art & Copy, Lee Clow, Chairman and Global Director of TBWA\Worldwide, said most advertising today is bad because everyone involved with the creative itself is afraid. How true. The marketing committee of the product or service is so afraid of failing they won’t take chances. That’s why there’s a committee in the first place, right? And the agency is afraid of losing the account, so they wouldn’t dare suggest any potential risks. And yet, risk is where art meets influence, and we consumers are enticed to take action.
Instead, consumers end up experiencing the mundane. Add the current economy into the scenario, and there is even more fear of failure resulting in messages as embarrassing to most consumers as Rick Perry’s brain freeze is to potential voters.
Isn’t it a shame we’re used to it? I’d like to see the advertising industry take a stand for the customer, and promise them that all future advertisements will be produced to deliver compelling, interesting, entertaining, and truthful creative messages. Maybe Brandtailers will take this lead. Who says change always has to come from the big boys?
(Yuck. We really don’t like the term “Social Media,” but we feel compelled to use it here so you’ll get the point of our message. Do yourself a favor, though, and stop thinking Social Media – start thinking Online Brand Management. It makes much more sense)
But for now…
The idea of hiring college interns or fresh, young twenty-somethings to manage social media is a hot topic these days. And a crazy one if you ask us. It’s like hiring someone to manage your TV advertising because he watches 3 times as many shows as you do. Oh, and he knows how to do everything with just one remote control. What the heck does that have to do with marketing?
Here’s what we’re hearing a lot these days…
Boss to employee: “We’ve got to get going with this Facebook and Twitter stuff. Do you have any idea where to start?”
Employee: “I’ve got no idea. Heh, unless you want to hire my wife. She’s hooked on Facebook these days. But my kids don’t even tweeter.”
Boss: “What about Cindy down in HR? She’s young. I’ll bet she tweeters. Maybe we could give it to her. She could do it a few minutes every week.”
Employee: “Yeh. She’s got a little free time. I see her on Facebook.”
Boss: “At work!?!”
Employee: “Oh yeh. All the time. But what about getting a college kid? We could hire him as an intern and wouldn’t have to pay.”
Boss: “Hmmm. Good idea. Who wants to pay someone just to do Facebook. Why don’t you check into that.”
So, let’s see. The average business today has what is, probably, the most powerful opportunity in years to properly position and market their brand to a highly targeted and relevant audience, and they want to hand that responsibility off to a youthful, untrained kid. CAN YOU SAY CRAZY?
Oh sure, Brandtailers has interns. Great ones, hand picked from the best colleges with the best advertising and PR programs (ala Chapman University). But we don’t entrust our client’s brands to them! Yes, we get some of them involved with our clients online efforts – but only after 60 hours of training and testing and only with constant supervision, guidance and ongoing webinars to improve their talents. Even then, they’re often doing the background work, i.e. gathering research and info for interesting posts on Facebook. We do not leave a client’s online brand in the hands of anyone who doesn’t completely understand the full marketing strategy, goals and objectives of a client’s brand. The online world is not a separate place from all other brand messages – it’s another place. A new one that has more potential to grow your brand than any other media has since television’s hay days.
If you’re a business leader reading this, please take our advice. DON’T “Just Do It”. Read a few case studies about businesses who understand the place Social Media has in marketing, and the powerful part it can play in the 21st century businesses’ success, or failure.
Here at Brandtailers, we value Social Media which is why we asked Justin Brackett, Chief Weather Maker at SocialVillage.net and Co-founder of DevelopSocially.com, to contribute his voice.
Story. Each of us has one to tell- especially your organization: who you are, what you do and where you are going. Nobody can tell your story better than you, it is in your DNA, culture and inside of you. And with the age of digital media, you now have, more than ever, the opportunity to tell the world about your business or organization.
Digital media is key in telling your story, yet so many organizations are now saying: “We have digital media; what now?”
These five simple steps will help guide you in curating the relevant and timely message for your organization:
Step 1: Go where your audience is.
It’s important to identify the digital platforms your target audience gravitates toward so you can meet them there. Go where your tribe aggregates. Contrary to what you may think, digital media is not just the latest craze for high school and college kids. Those 25 and over account for 84 percent of Twitter users, and the fastest-growing demographic for Facebook is people over 35. More than 5 billion pieces of content, such as videos, blog posts and outside links, are shared on Facebook every week. So take the time to do your research, listen and find out which digital media platforms your target audience uses the most. Then build your marketing plan and strategy around the best way to share your story on those platforms.
Step 2: Dialog with your audience.
If your organization wants to successfully utilize digital media, you have to create a dialog. Don’t just use digital media to inform people about what is new, what is next or what discount is now available- that can be one sided and bland. Add content that your target audience will value, whether it’s links to other sites, informative videos or encouraging blogs. Ask thought-provoking questions and solicit opinions about your posts. And always, always respond to any and all comments your fans leave on your organization’s Web sites. The more your fans feel connected to you, the more they’ll tell others about what you’re doing! Never leave any comment, @reply or feedback be unnoticed or unanswered.
Step 3: Start a groundswell.
Your organization has a built-in, ready-to-go fan base and tribe—your digital media fans and followers. People become loyal digital fans when they or their kids have had a positive experience with you. Empower these people to talk about your organization and what makes you unique. Ask them to guest blog for you, post about you on their Facebook wall and Tweet about you. This will add valuable content to your search engine results, as well as exposing your organization to people who will listen to your fans but not you.
Step 4: Enlist and Empower your staff.
Seventy-five percent of your staff already has their own Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Four Square accounts, and many of them are actively blogging. Ask them to spread the word about the events, offerings, philosophy and culture of your organization. But set up guidelines to encourage your staff to be conscientious of what they are posting and how it reflects on your organization. Help them understand what’s acceptable to post and the damage that could come from a careless comment or photo posting.
Step 5: Look ahead.
Build on your current marketing strategy. Move ahead of the conversation by listening for new opportunities to meet your digital media fans’ desires and requests. Supplement conventional forms of media like print and traditional events like home shows, open houses or conventions, with social media. By combining traditional and digital media, you’ll get a better return on your marketing money with deeper ROI and connected relationships.
