Archive for April, 2009
A creative masterpiece.
Apr 28th
This is one of the most beautiful, fun and uplifting videos I have seen in a long time. And it’s a car commercial. Amazing. Thanks to John Bottom at Base One Marketing for passing this along.
http://vimeo.com/4281939
Recession Essentials Part 1: Protect your brand
Apr 27th
This is part one of a three part series providing the essential marketing strategies you MUST drive during this downturn.
Imperative #1: PROTECT YOUR BRAND.
You might be shaking their head thinking, “my business is too small to have a brand.” Well of course you have a brand. Your brand is the essence of your company. It’s your promise to your customers. Your brand is what makes you special and defines why customers keep coming back to you.
Think about this. What would you think if Coca-Cola announced it was moving operations to China to save money? That would be so counter to the company’s all-American image that it would cause a backlash against the company. It breaks their implied promise to America.
Similarly, what would be your reaction if Trump Hotels started a line of hotels to compete with Motel 6? You would be shocked because it is so inconsistent with the brand promise Trump has nurtured. It might meet a short-term customer need for value, but in the long-term the brand would be ruined!
Everything you do and everything you don’t do defines your brand. And if you don’t carefully protect and market your brand even when times are tough, your brand will be defined by what your competitors say about you.
In the age of social media, there’s another new element that can jeopardize your brand — the constant buzz on the Internet. Today, every individual can have a stake in creating the image of your company. A bad experience in a restaurant can fly over the internet immediately over Twitter. Bad service will be reported on any number of sites that review businesses. For the first time in history, public opinion is really PUBLIC – immediately, pervasively and permanently! In this environment, listening to your customers, monitoring the buzz and reacting immediately to protect your brand is more important than ever.
One last comment about the importance of forming an impenetrable shield around your brand — in a recession, people turn to who they trust. Keep them trusting in YOU and your brand promise. Don’t do anything to react to short-term conditions that will jeopardize your success in the long-run.
Telepathic Tweets
Apr 25th
The latest issue of Wired features a story on brain-computer interfaces that allow patients to simply “think” of a message and send it to the world through Twitter. While pundits either love or hate this newest social media craze, you can’t help but wonder at the jaw-dropping possibilities of a real-world application like this. Imagine, unlocking communications and opening up the world for people who can think but can’t move. This is not pie-in-the sky. It’s happening now. Read more at:
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/04/braintweet.html#previouspost
Who is the company voice on social media?
Apr 24th
As more mainstream companies get involved with direct customer conversations in social media channels, who is responsible for the conversation?Two camps are emerging. Some believe that the more employee-enthusiasts involved, the better. You’re not going to stop the Tweets anyway so why try? Go ahead and enlist them for the good of the company. But do you really want every employee to have the authority of a company spokesperson?Camp two is a traditional approach of command and control. One company, one spokesperson. But how is that even possible in an environment of instantaneous communication? Today, company news is not necessarily dictated by a press release. A rumor can travel globally over mobile devices faster than you can make a phone call to the CEO.
This issue is fraught with peril — yes, the more company enthusiasts the better. But are those the same people who will be defining your brand? What are the guidelines? What are the accountabilities? What if an employee unwittingly sets off a chain reaction of public humiliation?
Through traditional media channels, the guidelines were clear, the message was clear and the chain of command was clear. Despite the “come one, come all” freedom inherent in social media, I predict this same hierarchical structure will evolve to rule the social media channel in mainstream companies. The stakes are too high for brand integrity, corporate governance and SEC accountability to abdicate corporate communications to early adopters of the newest social networking platforms.
Corporations can’t control the network, but they can monitor what employees say and do and articulate consequences for those who step beyond well-established guidelines. A public company is not a democracy. Employees do not have freedom of speech. Watch what you Twitter.
Welcome to {grow}
You’re in marketing for one reason: Grow.
Grow your company, reputation, customers, impact, profits. Grow yourself. This is a community that will help. It will stretch your mind, connect you to fascinating people, and provide some fun along the way. I am so glad you’re here.
-Mark SchaeferFollow Mark
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