Joe Digital Blog » engagement

Episode 9: Mass To Me Marketing

Zach Jordan — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:22:42 +0000

How excited were you when you saw Episode 8 and learned about the different types of audience? We know; Earth shattering. Keep it together because this week we’re going to astound you yet again with information you haven’t already heard a million times. All this talk of social media this and new media that is a good thing for your business, but it’s not the only way to reach, entertain, and retain the modern audience.

In Episode 9 we’ll take a look at why it’s so important to embrace all forms of media in an effort to connect with everyone. We especially want to reach out and touch those who may be thinking of crossing over to the new paradigm, but haven’t yet taken the plunge. Although you really should consider this bandwagon because it’s fun here. Besides, we know you’re always looking for new ways to dissuade cognitive dissonance. Holla!

Episode 9 features: Beth Diamond, Timothy Golden, Jason Feinberg, and Zach Jordan

Photo by: Travis Jensen

Episode 8: The Modern Audience Revealed

Zach Jordan — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:54:31 +0000

In our last episode, we learned that the power of a loyal audience today is due to quality not quantity. This week we explain the three main types of audience and how the new, “lean forward” audience engages with content across multiple platforms. How does one engage people when they are consuming across all platforms, including live events? Ultimately, the best way to “defrag” any audience today is to weave a compelling story that relies on traditional storytelling maxims AND speaks with a unified voice utilizing only the appropriate platforms that apply to your story.

Episode 8 features: Suzanne Diamond, Timothy Golden, and Zach Jordan

photo by: TourettesWithoutRegrets

Episode 4: Audience Engagement: Keepin’ It Real

Zach Jordan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:13:11 +0000

As we saw in Episode 3, there are several ways to track audience data. You can find out, on a very granular level, who they are, where they like to play, and other important metrics that are required to make great content and distribute it strategically across the web. In Episode 4 we find out why it’s so important to utilize this data and help you create a loyal bond with your audience. We’ll also look at why it’s imperative to come from an authentic place when creating interesting and relevant storylines for your content. Remember: the consumer bullshit meter is very sensitive!

Episode 4 features: Jason Feinberg, Suzanne Diamond, Timothy Golden and Zach Jordan

The Brand Police Never Sleep: GoodGuide Good for Brands…and US

Peter Schankowitz — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:59:17 +0000

The brand police are knocking at the door. You can run but you can’t hide!

In today’s Ad Age, Jack Neff writes about Good Guide, a consumer brand rating site that has already put their scale of 1-10 on over 75,000 products. While consumer watchdogs have been around a long, long time, this more recent entry highlights a rising note that we have mentioned in prior posts—in the digital age of massive choice, one of the biggest consumer demands will be authenticity. GoodGuide highlights the fact that the engaged consumer will not tolerate the brand that mouths claims that are not demonstrably accurate.

Utilizing their academic backgrounds, UC Berkeley professor, Dara O’Rourke, and his colleagues use the power of various databases, consumer input and the want / need for a reinvigorated policing source, Good Guide seems to have most of the modern marketing maxims in play. They are delivering objective information on the authenticity of consumer brands—proving their own authenticity (the lack of ads helps). They are creating a genuine partnership between their site, the brands, and the consumer by both utilizing consumer input and informing brands, very transparently, about how they can improve their scores and, thus, their standing with the public. They are also delivering all of this in the mandatory personal way. Within brand conglomerates, divisions can work on their own ratings. For the consumer, O’Rourke says they will soon allow users to create their own personalized scales based upon how each of them weigh the various indicia of “good”.

It all seems to be working. Awareness of the site is rising. Brands are actively engaging. Aileen Zerrudo, the Director of Communications for Clorox notes that they are genuinely listening to what the consumer is saying via GoodGuide. Moreover, the company claims that click to conversion rates from the site to Amazon.com are 5-10 times higher than most retailers’ traditional returns. A well-known brand actually wanting to listen, improve and increase market share? I’m betting that the smart brand begins to actively seek out these kinds of relationships.

So how does a brand fare well with GoodGuide and, presumably, turn the maybe consumer into a loyal participant? According to GoodGuide: (1) Change Ingredients to meet the desire for natural; (2) Quality Management (avoid recall disasters); (3) Internal Policies matter (fair labor, CSR, etc.); (4) Green and Responsible (a clean record and sustainable production); and (5) Be Transparent (if you hide data, we will find it).

So let’s say a brand follows the rules and carries the day with a “10″. Now they just need to pat themselves on the back and incorporate how they got there into every aspect of their marketing. By following the same rules in their marketing (being authentic, delivering personal value, being transparent, and actually caring enough to engage), brands will ride the wave instead of ending up in the trough. Tout your score (in the right manner of course—sorry nitpickers) and score big with the public. In the end, quality and authenticity need to become key elements of a brand’s story. Deliver that story to the audience on their terms and you end up with quality, loyal, and passionate participants.

Mom Marketing, Teen Targeting

Peter Schankowitz — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:08:31 +0000

Hold on to your hat! Are you sitting down? You know the long forgotten “old” people outside the 18-34 demo? The ones who have always been the afterthought when it comes to brand messaging? Guess what, they count. As I noted in several prior posts, the notion that retailers, especially teen and youth product and service companies, must pay some, if not equal attention, to the folks with the wallet to that which they devote to their actual consumer demo. Marketing to teens AND their banks, er, uh, moms.

In today’s WSJ online, Elizabeth Holmes, writes about how teen retailers like Aeropostale are starting to do a deep bow towards those with the purse strings. They are adding chairs for Mom so she can more comfortably survive the teen shopping frenzy. They are creating personal shopping programs, available at mom-friendly times. Wow. They understand that their consumer needs to (a) get to the store and (b) have money before they can make a purchase. Hope springs eternal.

Now, all we have to do is broaden this marketing epiphany and start to apply this power-of-the-purse recognition to all aspects of branding and marketing. Moms and Dads are as much part of the fragmented digital space as anyone. They too have a ton of choices. They too don’t want to be “sold”. They too exist on line and in self-selected pods on the social networks and passion sites. As I have noted in the past, Moms buy jeans, TVs, skateboards, cars, and the offerings under virtually every vertical.

If Mom is more likely to embrace Aeropostale thanks to a place to sit, imagine what would happen if they installed a Man Cave. A back room, flat screen, BIG chairs, etc. I can see it now. Saturday morning, I wake up, have my coffee and excitedly wake up my girls and say “Hey kids! Let’s go to Abercrombie!” I’d be loyal to that brand.

NBC: Fourth Place To Future First?

Peter Schankowitz — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:58:27 +0000

Sometimes necessity and a painful wallow in fourth place in a field of four is the mother of invention. Today’s MediaPost features an article by David Goetzl about Jeff Zucker’s recent investor speech. During his presentation, Zucker more than hinted about NBC’s future and the programming changes that will play a major role. A key component of the NBC plan is to forge ahead with altering the content landscape that has ruled prime time for decades. It’s inescapable that fragmentation, change in audience tastes, and the shift to consumption of all things online is driving this need for “reinvention”. The Leno “experiment” won’t be an experiment for long.

You can produce a strip, prime time chat show, even with a high cost talent like Leno, for a fraction of the investment required for an hour drama or half hour sitcom. Period. On the “Zucker is wise” front, you have lower cost, less risk of audience rejection of 95% of your original offerings (if they like Leno, they will just keep coming back and NBC can pre-book that), and you get to plant your flag in the “new” 10pm slot with a tried and true brand while others must follow. If broadcast does become the repository for reality and event TV, NBC might reap the rewards of being first to embrace.

On the other side, you give up the major windfall that the occasional hit narrative delivers here and abroad for years and years to come in syndication. NO one will argue that chat is evergreen (though original reality formats may be). I’m having a hard time trying to figure out how the move toward inexpensive programming will balance out against the loss of the annuity of a “Friends” or “Seinfeld”. Part of the answer may be a top to bottom embrace of the need for reinvention of the overall approach to broadcast, cable, and digital and who becomes who in the content zoo. I’m betting on NBC.

If the Leno project works, NBC owns 10pm and has the luxury of exporting the model and success to 8-10 pm. NBC reinvents broadcast prime time. Where do the dramas and quality narrative go? NBC’s cable unit. Their cable outlets have been their success story for years and, under Jeff Gaspin, have become quality content profit centers. There is no reason why FX should own the quality ribbon. Of course, that move will necessitate lower production budgets and the current scripted programming sources will go kicking and screaming. As Zucker mentioned however, lower cost doesn’t have to mean lower quality. Examples of budget and content bravery abound. Lower budgets, lower risk, even bigger windfalls when they find a hit—and the ability to genuinely brand their cable channels.

And what about digital? NBC is banking on Hulu. Fine for now. But if they genuinely want to be the Mother of Reinvention, they must actively pursue a custom strategy for serving the digital landscape. Yes, they will offer their shows on line. Fine. But for a growing and evolving digital generation it won’t be enough to shoehorn “TV” into the content offerings. The audience will increasingly demand customized, personal, quality content that is crafted for who they are, where they consume, how they consume and what they wish to consume. They won’t be sold, won’t be washed over with message, and won’t engage unless you invite them in. No one has the answers yet. But if NBC wants to genuinely lead the way and reap the rewards of audience loyalty, THIS is where the tough work needs to be done. What does the online user between 7 and 11pm want? Has anyone really bothered to find out? That answer will be the linchpin to success.

NBC will figure out the new world of broadcast, it will build on its cable success and we’ll see if it can address digital. If they bother with all three prongs, they will clean everyone’s clock by being the content source that creates the 360 degree, on demand, content and distribution plan that is the future.

The New 360 Storytelling Experience: Focus Groups

Zach Jordan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:40:27 +0000

In an effort to craft a brand idea or story custom made for the rabid audience, start focusing on the fans. There are a variety of free platforms to test your ideas, story, and characters and get immediate feedback from the plethora of passion centers that already exist online. Popular shows like AMC’s Mad Men make Twitter an ancillary component of the show on TV, where rabid fans take a deeper look into the lives of Betty and Don Draper.

You can leverage the use of social networks like Facebook and Twitter to see what related topics people are already talking about and get immediate feedback on your story idea or characters. Armed with this knowledge, you have a very solid understanding of how to craft an appropriate distribution strategy because you know 1) where your audience is viewing related content and 2) how this content is positioned within these platforms. As you start mapping out potential distribution channels for your messaging, you can also use these social networks as tools to help maximize audience engagement, while minimizing potential spend on distribution that might not be appropriate for your concept or audience. Tomorrow we’ll look at the different types of DISTRIBUTION channels available and how to construct the best strategy for your story.

Photo by: Amstel

Social Networks: A Banner Prospect For Banners

Peter Schankowitz — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:11:34 +0000

Now that we know people are living digital, we better start getting to them where they exist, when they are there, and with content / brand message of true, personal value. That mainstay banner ad is on the decline—precisely for the same reasons the traditional ad market is on a steep decline.

I think we are all aware of the limitations inherent in traditional media and that the shotgun approach for branding and marketing alone, can’t carry the day for brands that want to survive, let alone prosper. The audience is fragmented and living digitally across all platforms. In fact, they are living in specific arenas where they know they can commune with like-minded folks who share their interests, wants and needs. These lean forward consumers are in the driver seat and they can and are asking for brands to chat with them (not at them) on their terms.

Because of this, the traditional banner ad is quickly becoming the digital :30 spot. They are just there. And like a print ad or any other traditional media buy, they are still relying upon the “maybe” rather than the “likely” approach that targeted, personal messaging can deliver. Increasingly, brands are realizing this and I believe we are on the verge of a major change. Brands will increasingly recognize the power of social networking and will fine tune their approach so that they deliver on the participant’s terms. The San Francisco Chronicle’s, Verne Kopytoff, provides an insightful glimpse into the not-too-distant future.

More and more brands are shifting to a “social engagement” approach utilizing the power of the social networks and giving the consumer a “reason to notice” their ads. They are beginning to understand and exploit the opportunities that are to be had by reaching the consumer on his terms and delivering real value.

Companies like Dice (the tech job board) are grasping the need to engage rather than wash over their targets with a banner. According to the Kopytoff article, one of Dice’s recent banner efforts included a call to action, asking readers to “rant about their worst job experience”. Visitors read more, stay longer, and are more apt to value what Dice is offering. But this is just the beginning.

This is just one example of what the successful brand will do in the digital age. They will get to the passion centers that line up with the heart of their product or service. They will deliver meaningful value in the form of rich content that entertains and genuinely engages the audience. And, within that content, they will deliver value in the form of discounts, contests, conversation starters and other devices that create brand loyalty. Moreover, brands will realize that by providing real value, they are likely to create brand ambassadors who reach out to others in their network and work for the brand by spreading the message. As Jim Calhoun of Popular Media notes, the branding tree that can be created by a single, engaged consumer is powerful since the brand message comes with that user’s “seal of approval”. http://tinyurl.com/czynj3

The other denizen’s of the user’s tree are certainly more apt to listen since they are not being “sold”, but rather they are being invited by a trusted source to join in the conversation with the brand. And there, lays the key. Conversation WITH. When brands invite comment, suggestion, and critique or otherwise provide the impetus for participants to stick around and live the brand, they are creating the two-way street that generates brand loyalty beyond that derived from any traditional approach. If we don’t feel sold, we don’t put up defenses. If we don’t put up defenses, our ears, minds, and hearts are open. Isn’t that exactly when your brand wants to have the chat?