Last Mile Marketing

Television advertising continues to lose effectiveness

2008-02-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

As marketing struggles to remain relevant, current research and measurement calls for more experimentation and further research.

Telling article in Adweek:

"TV Ads Are Less Effective, Survey Says...

"NEW YORK A majority of marketers believe that television advertising has become less effective in the past two years, according to a new survey from the National Association of Advertisers and Forrester Research.

"Over 50 percent of marketers reported that when half of all television households use DVRs, they would cut spending on TV advertising by 12 percent. Current DVR penetration "is estimated to be nearly 25 percent...

"Close to half of the advertisers surveyed have already started to experiment with new ad types to display via DVRs and VOD programs. Eighty-seven percent of advertisers believe branded entertainment will play a stronger role in TV advertising in the coming year.

"A majority of those surveyed said they were eager to try new ad formats in online TV shows (65 percent) and ads embedded in VOD (55 percent). Forty-three percent said they were intrigued by interactive TV ads, while about a third expressed interest in exploring ads within the set-top box menu.

"Eighty-seven percent of respondents said they intend to spend more on Web advertising this year. Seventy-two percent of marketers said they want more detailed TV ratings, e.g., individual commercial ratings rather than average commercial ratings. Most advertisers currently use the latter to buy network TV ads...

"The study also reported that two-thirds of the respondents indicated that C-level executives are watching the changes in TV advertising more closely, up from 54 percent two years ago."

The Problem with Advertising

2008-01-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

An interesting article in Fortune titled Advertising Everywhere, by editor-at-large Brent Schlender, ponders where the saturation point is with the web's advertising model:

Now it's dawning on me that advertising is in turn profoundly transforming IT. Google was the first company to really cash in on so-called targeted advertising. And thanks to Google's breathtaking revenue growth and market valuation, the rest of the IT industry - especially the venture capital machinery that creates new companies in Silicon Valley - now sees advertising as the key to "monetizing" IT innovations.

Today any service or digital technology that presents itself on an LCD screen can be a revenue-generating billboard. So far, targeted ads appear mostly on Web sites displayed on PCs. But you're starting to see them on cellphones and ATMs and gas pumps, and hear them as you walk past Coke machines and store displays. Google is looking for ways to apply its ad-placement technology to radio, newspapers, TV, and even roadside displays.

Only a few years ago advertisers were worrying that the tech wizards who gave us TiVo's ad-zapping video recorders would conjure up even more powerful technologies to help us avoid seeing the ads for which they've paid so dearly. Now, thanks to IT, we're exposed to more ads in more places than ever before.

This is interesting in terms of what it means about the future of marketing. The challenge is in how customers view (or avoid viewing) advertising.

Something needs to change. Too many marketing people still shovel their advertising out, without subtlety, without context, without customer feedback, without any respect or manners, and without any attempt to build a lasting relationship with the customer.

One response to this type of out-dated style of marketing is indifference.

Another is ouright antagonism.

Generating Value from Customer Input

2007-12-21T13:04:00.001-08:00

Good article on the “Knowledge at Wharton” site, called “Social Marketing: How Companies Are Generating Value from Customer Input”.

It covers conversational/social/viral marketing. Here's a description:

Fansumers, viral videos and social computing -- these are just some of the many buzzwords pinging around the marketing world today. While making sense of them isn't easy, the concept behind them is clear: Online technologies allow customers to communicate in new ways with one another, and companies must decide whether to ignore, co-opt or dive into these new waters of interactivity. "Consumers want to feel they are being heard, and they love having an impact on the future development of products," says one Wharton professor. "To the extent that they can air grievances, or understand the company's position, that can be beneficial for the company itself."

Sometimes the best PR in the world is useless

2007-11-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

I love this post from the Church of the Customer blog.
"PR is useless... when actions create the real story."

Check it out. And don't forget to bookmark their blog. Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba always have something interesting to say.

Mobile Marketing Segments

2007-05-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

Having worked in wireless marketing, I know that there's still a great deal of work that needs to be done in understanding how people use mobile devices.

ComScore Networks just released a study of wireless consumer segments. It shows differences in mobile user segments and it points toward better ways of addressing the differences.

One finding could have been predicted: Wireless Users in the 25-to-34 Age Segment Most Likely to Access the Internet via Their Cell Phones

Here is a recap of some finding:

Based on a survey of U.S. consumers who use a wireless phone, this report analyzes differences in behavior and attitudes among the following key wireless consumer segments:

- The Cellular Generation – Ages 18 to 24, these young adults grew up with cell phone awareness, experiencing cell phones as a part of their everyday lives.

- Transitioners – Ages 25 to 34, these people fall in between two distinct groups: those who grew up with cell phone knowledge and those who did not. Cell phones began to infiltrate everyday life during their teen years and early adulthood.

- Adult Adopters – Age 35 or older, this group was not exposed to cell phone until adulthood. Adult Adopters tend to have the most functional view of cell phones, with many requiring just the basics and showing limited interest in emerging technologies.

Here's a quote from Serge Matta, senior vice president of comScore Telecommunications Solutions:

“During the past decade, cell phones have dramatically changed the communication habits of American consumers. While the youngest consumers grew up with the technology, those just a few years older did not, resulting in some pronounced differences in attitudes and behaviors towards cell phone usage across the various user segments. As cell phones continue to evolve in terms of design, functionality, and features, it is vital that cell phone providers and manufacturers understand the differing needs and desires of these distinct consumer segments.”

The Etiquette of Conversation

2007-02-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

Below is a section from Emily Post’s book on "Etiquette".

It covers the proper etiquette of conversation, and I think offers some solid advice on conversational marketing as well.

It also relates to my post on using the 'magic words".

The writing is dated, it's VERY VERY long and a little corny, but there are some real gems here, like the need for reciprocity, the value of humor and respect for your partner in conversation.

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Excerpt from "Etiquette" by Emily Post (1873–1960). 1922 edition.

Chapter VII.

Conversation

NEED OF RECIPROCITY

IDEAL conversation should be a matter of equal give and take, but too often it is all “take.” The voluble talker—or chatterer—rides his own hobby straight through the hours without giving anyone else, who might also like to say something, a chance to do other than exhaustedly await the turn that never comes. Once in a while—a very long while—one meets a brilliant person whose talk is a delight; or still more rarely a wit who manipulates every ordinary topic with the agility of a sleight-of-hand performer, to the ever increasing rapture of his listeners.

But as a rule the man who has been led to believe that he is a brilliant and interesting talker has been led to make himself a rapacious pest. No conversation is possible between others whose ears are within reach of his ponderous voice; anecdotes, long-winded stories, dramatic and pathetic, stock his repertoire; but worst of all are his humorous yarns at which he laughs uproariously though every one else grows solemn and more solemn.

There is a simple rule, by which if one is a voluble chatterer (to be a good talker necessitates a good mind) one can at least refrain from being a pest or a bore. And the rule is merely, to stop and think.

“THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK”

Nearly all the faults or mistakes in conversation are caused by not thinking. For instance, a first rule for behavior in society is: “Try to do and say those things only which will be agreeable to others.” Yet how many people, who really know better, people who are perfectly capable of intelligent understanding if they didn’t let their brains remain asleep or locked tight, go night after night to dinner parties, day after day to other social gatherings, and absent-mindedly prate about this or that without ever taking the trouble to think what they are saying and to whom they are saying it! Would a young mother describe twenty or thirty cunning tricks and sayings of the baby to a bachelor who has been helplessly put beside her at dinner if she thought? She would know very well, alas! that not even a very dear friend would really care for more than a hors d’oeuvre of the subject, at the board of general conversation.

The older woman is even worse, unless something occurs (often when it is too late) to make her wake up and realize that she not only bores her hearers but prejudices everyone against her children by the unrestraint of her own praise. The daughter who is continually lauded as the most captivating and beautiful girl in the world, seems to the wearied perceptions of enforced listeners annoying and plain. In the same way the “magnificent” son is handicapped by his mother’s—or his father’s—overweening pride and love in exact proportion to its displayed intensity. On the other hand, the neglected wife, the unappreciated husband, the misunderstood child, takes on a glamor in the eyes of others equally out of proportion. That great love has seldom perfect wisdom is one of the great tragedies in the drama of life. In the case of the overloving wife or mother, some one should love her enough to make her stop and think that her loving praise is not merely a question of boring her hearers but of handicapping unfairly those for whom she would gladly lay down her life—and yet few would have the courage to point out to her that she would far better lay down her tongue.

The cynics say that those who take part in social conversation are bound to be either the bores or the bored; and that which you choose to be, is a mere matter of selection. And there must be occasions in the life of everyone when the cynics seem to be right; the man of affairs who, sitting next to an attractive looking young woman, is regaled throughout dinner with the detailed accomplishments of the young woman’s husband; the woman of intellect who must listen with interest to the droolings of an especially prosy man who holds forth on the super-everything of his own possessions, can not very well consider that the evening was worth dressing, sitting up, and going out for.

People who talk too easily are apt to talk too much, and at times imprudently, and those with vivid imagination are often unreliable in their statements. On the other hand the “man of silence” who never speaks except when he has something “worth while” to say, is apt to wear well among his intimates, but is not likely to add much to the gaiety of a party.
Try not to repeat yourself; either by telling the same story again and again or by going back over details of your narrative that seemed especially to interest or amuse your hearer. Many things are of interest when briefly told and for the first time; nothing interests when too long dwelt upon; little interests that is told a second time. The exception is something very pleasant that you have heard about A. or more especially A.’s child, which having already told A. you can then tell B., and later C. in A.’s presence. Never do this as a habit, however, and never drag the incident into the conversation merely to flatter A., since if A. is a person of taste, he will be far more apt to resent than be pleased by flattery that borders on the fulsome.
Be careful not to let amiable discussion turn into contradiction and argument. The tactful person keeps his prejudices to himself and even when involved in a discussion says quietly “No. I don’t think I agree with you” or “It seems to me thus and so.” One who is well-bred never says “You are wrong!” or “Nothing of the kind!” If he finds another’s opinion utterly opposed to his own, he switches to another subject for a pleasanter channel of conversation.

When some one is talking to you, it is inconsiderate to keep repeating “What did you say?” Those who are deaf are often obliged to ask that a sentence be repeated. Otherwise their irrelevant answers would make them appear half-witted. But countless persons with perfectly good hearing say “What?” from force of habit and careless inattention.

THE GIFT OF HUMOR

The joy of joys is the person of light but unmalicious humor. If you know any one who is gay, beguiling and amusing, you will, if you are wise, do everything you can to make him prefer your house and your table to any other; for where he is, the successful party is also. What he says is of no matter, it is the twist he gives to it, the intonation, the personality he puts into his quip or retort or observation that delights his hearers, and in his case the ordinary rules do not apply.

Eugene Field could tell a group of people that it had rained to-day and would probably rain tomorrow, and make everyone burst into laughter—or tears if he chose—according to the way it was said. But the ordinary rest of us must, if we would be thought sympathetic, intelligent or agreeable, “go fishing.”

GOING FISHING FOR TOPICS

The charming talker is neither more nor less than a fisherman. (Fisherwoman rather, since in America women make more effort to be agreeable than men do.) Sitting next to a stranger she wonders which “fly” she had better choose to interest him. She offers one topic; not much of a nibble. So she tries another or perhaps a third before he “rises” to the bait.

THE DOOR SLAMMERS

There are people whose idea of conversation is contradiction and flat statement. Finding yourself next to one of these, you venture:

“Have you seen any good plays lately?”
“No, hate the theater.”
“Which team are you for in the series?”
“Neither. Only an idiot could be interested in baseball.”
“Country must have a good many idiots!” mockingly.
“Obviously it has.” Full stop. In desperation you veer to the personal.
“I’ve never seen Mrs. Bobo Gilding as beautiful as she is to-night.”
“Nothing beautiful about her. As for the name ‘Bobo,’ it’s asinine.”
“Oh, it’s just one of those children’s names that stick sometimes for life.”
“Perfect rot. Ought to be called by his name,” etc.

Another, not very different in type though different in method, is the self-appointed instructor whose proper place is on the lecture platform, not at a dinner table.
“The earliest coins struck in the Peloponnesus were stamped on one side only; their alloy———” etc.

Another is the expounder of the obvious: “Have you ever noticed,” says he, deeply thinking, “how people’s tastes differ?”
Then there is the vulgarian of fulsome compliment: “Why are you so beautiful? It is not fair to the others———” and so on.

TACTLESS BLUNDERERS

Tactless people are also legion. The means-to-be-agreeable elderly man says to a passée acquaintance, “Twenty years ago you were the prettiest woman in town”; or in the pleasantest tone of voice to one whose only son has married. “Why is it, do you suppose, that young wives always dislike their mothers-in-law?”

If you have any ambition to be sought after in society you must not talk about the unattractiveness of old age to the elderly, about the joys of dancing and skating to the lame, or about the advantages of ancestry to the self-made. It is also dangerous, as well as needlessly unkind, to ridicule or criticize others, especially for what they can’t help. If a young woman’s familiar or otherwise lax behavior deserves censure, a casual unflattering remark may not add to your own popularity if your listener is a relative, but you can at least, without being shamefaced, stand by your guns. On the other hand to say needlessly “What an ugly girl!” or “What a half-wit that boy is!” can be of no value except in drawing attention to your own tactlessness.

The young girl who admired her own facile adjectives said to a casual acquaintance: “How can you go about with that moth-eaten, squint-eyed, bag of a girl!” “Because,” answered the youth whom she had intended to dazzle, “the lady of your flattering epithets happens to be my sister.”
It is scarcely necessary to say that one whose tactless remarks ride rough-shod over the feelings of others, is not welcomed by many.

THE BORE

A bore is said to be “one who talks about himself when you want to talk about yourself!” which is superficially true enough, but a bore might more accurately be described as one who is interested in what does not interest you, and insists that you share his enthusiasm, in spite of your disinclination. To the bore life holds no dullness; every subject is of unending delight. A story told for the thousandth time has not lost its thrill; every tiresome detail is held up and turned about as a morsel of delectableness; to him each pea in a pod differs from another with the entrancing variety that artists find in tropical sunsets.

On the other hand, to be bored is a bad habit, and one only too easy to fall into. As a matter of fact, it is impossible, almost, to meet anyone who has not something of interest to tell you if you are but clever enough yourself to find out what it is. There are certain always delightful people who refuse to be bored. Their attitude is that no subject need ever be utterly uninteresting, so long as it is discussed for the first time. Repetition alone is deadly dull. Besides, what is the matter with trying to be agreeable yourself? Not too agreeable. Alas! it is true: “Be polite to bores and so shall you have bores always round about you.” Furthermore, there is no reason why you should be bored when you can be otherwise. But if you find yourself sitting in the hedgerow with nothing but weeds, there is no reason for shutting your eyes and seeing nothing, instead of finding what beauty you may in the weeds. To put it cynically, life is too short to waste it in drawing blanks. Therefore, it is up to you to find as many pictures to put on your blank pages as possible.

A FEW IMPORTANT DETAILS OF SPEECH IN CONVERSATION

Unless you wish to stamp yourself a person who has never been out of “provincial” society, never speak of your husband as “Mr.” except to an inferior. Mrs. Worldly for instance in talking with a stranger would say “my husband,” and to a friend, meaning one not only whom she calls by her first name, but anyone on her “dinner list,” she says, “Dick thought the play amusing” or “Dick said——”. This does not give her listener the privilege of calling him “Dick.” The listener in return speaks of her own husband as “Tom” even if he is seventy—unless her hearer is a very young person (either man or woman), when she would say “my husband.” Never “Mr. Older.” To call your husband Mr. means that you consider the person you are talking to, beneath you in station. Mr. Worldly in the same way speaks of Mrs. Worldly as “my wife” to a gentleman, or “Edith” in speaking to a lady. Always.

In speaking about other people, one says “Mrs.,” “Miss” or “Mr.” as the case may be. It is bad form to go about saying “Edith Worldly” or “Ethel Norman” to those who do not call them Edith or Ethel, and to speak thus familiarly of one whom you do not call by her first name, is unforgivable. It is also effrontery for a younger person to call an older by her or his first name, without being asked to do so. Only a very underbred, thick-skinned person would attempt it.

Also you must not take your conversation “out of the drawing-room.” Operations, ills or personal blemishes, details and appurtenances of the dressing-room, for instance, are neither suitable nor pleasant topics, nor are personal jokes in good taste.

THE “OMNISCIENCE” OF THE VERY RICH

Why a man, because he has millions, should assume that they confer omniscience in all branches of knowledge, is something which may be left to the psychologist to answer, but most of those thrown much in contact with millionaires will agree that an attitude of infallibility is typical of a fair majority.

A professor who has devoted his life to a subject modestly makes a statement. “You are all wrong,” says the man of millions, “It is this way——”. As a connoisseur he seems to think that because he can pay for anything he fancies, he is accredited expert as well as potential owner. Topics he does not care for are “bosh,” those which he has a smattering of, he simply appropriates; his prejudices are, in his opinion, expert criticism; his taste impeccable; his judgment infallible; and to him the world is a pleasance built for his sole pleasuring. But to the rest of us who also have to live in it with as much harmony as we can, such persons are certainly elephants at large in the garden. We can sometimes induce them to pass through gently, but they are just as likely at any moment to pull up our fences and push the house itself over on our defenseless heads.

There are countless others of course, very often the richest of all, who are authoritative in all they profess, who are experts and connoisseurs, who are human and helpful and above everything respecters of the garden enclosure of others.

DANGERS TO BE AVOIDED

In conversation the dangers are very much the same as those to be avoided in writing letters. Talk about things which you think will be agreeable to your hearer. Don’t dilate on ills, misfortune, or other unpleasantnesses. The one in greatest danger of making enemies is the man or woman of brilliant wit. If sharp, wit is apt to produce a feeling of mistrust even while it stimulates. Furthermore the applause which follows every witty sally becomes in time breath to the nostrils, and perfectly well-intentioned people, who mean to say nothing unkind, in the flash of a second “see a point,” and in the next second, score it with no more power to resist than a drug addict can resist a dose put into his hand!

The mimic is a joy to his present company, but the eccentric mannerism of one is much easier to imitate than the charm of another, and the subjects of the habitual mimic are all too apt to become his enemies.

You need not, however, be dull because you refrain from the rank habit of a critical attitude, which like a weed will grow all over the place if you let it have half a chance. A very good resolve to make and keep, if you would also keep any friends you make, is never to speak of anyone without, in imagination, having them overhear what you say. One often hears the exclamation “I would say it to her face!” At least be very sure that this is true, and not a braggart’s phrase and then—nine times out of ten think better of it and refrain. Preaching is all very well in a text-book, schoolroom or pulpit, but it has no place in society. Society is supposed to be a pleasant place; telling people disagreeable things to their faces or behind their backs is not a pleasant occupation.

Do not be too apparently clever if you would be popular. The cleverest woman is she who, in talking to a man, makes him seem clever. This was Mme. Recamier’s great charm.

A FEW MAXIMS FOR THOSE WHO TALK TOO MUCH—AND EASILY!

The faults of commission are far more serious than those of omission; regrets are seldom for what you left unsaid.

The chatterer reveals every corner of his shallow mind; one who keeps silent can not have his depth plumbed.

Don’t pretend to know more than you do. To say you have read a book and then seemingly to understand nothing of what you have read, proves you a half-wit. Only the very small mind hesitates to say “I don’t know.”

Above all, stop and think what you are saying! This is really the first, last and only rule. If you “stop” you can’t chatter or expound or flounder ceaselessly, and if you think, you will find a topic and a manner of presenting your topic so that your neighbor will be interested rather than long-suffering.

Remember also that the sympathetic (not apathetic) listener is the delight of delights. The person who looks glad to see you, who is seemingly eager for your news, or enthralled with your conversation; who looks at you with a kindling of the face, and gives you spontaneous and undivided attention, is the one to whom the palm for the art of conversation would undoubtedly be awarded.

"Conversational Marketing" Entry on Wikipedia

2007-01-10T13:14:00.000-08:00

People ask me what the term 'conversational marketing' means. Here's the Wikipedia entry on "Conversational Marketing"

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Conversational (or Conversation) Marketing arose as a current buzzword after the ClueTrain Manifesto, which starts 'All Markets Are Conversations'.

Conversational Marketing is the engagement of social media by a corporation to promote their product or brand. It differs from traditional forms of "customer touch" because the company may enter into an online dialogue which is stored publicly in a forum or blog. The company may also take the conversation offline. As of September 2007, it seems to be a Buzzword in marketing and Customer_relationship_management. The idea is to break down the common assumption that marketing involves the broadcasting of information from a marketer to an audience, and replace it with something more interactive. As said above, this idea has appeared in the ClueTrain_Manifesto. Online PR guru Shel Israel, co-author of Naked Conversations, writes in 2004 that,

"Conversational Marketing is nothing new. It’s basically the concept that people respond better to lowered voices spoken in credible tones than they do to the aggressive in-your-face marketing speak as is evidences in everything from TV ads to the pap-lingo of so many website. If common sense prevailed, marketers would understand that simply conversing with customers, prospects, partners, investors and employees is more effective. People listen better and longer when you just talk to them and listen back. All too often professional marketers lose their credibility by hyperbole, hubris and amplification. It seems to me self evident that just talking with people is more effective than shouting and repeating yourself as if your audience was comprised of deaf idiots."

But Conversational Marketing is more than that. The internet makes it possible to actually watch customer behavior, and respond accordingly, in a far shorter timespan than in other media. Internet Marketing can now truly be a conversation, where organizations invite customers to learn about them, observe whether they get a positive response, and adjust accordingly. One book and blog on this aspect of the topic is Conversation Marketing.

While a number of companies are engaging more in conversational marketing through new web channels i.e. Microsoft, HP and Dell, it is not certain that this is a scalable system for companies with a justifiable ROI. In the past marketing has been "to many" and PR strategies focus on most influential journalists, so how can companies converse with all of their stakeholders? Perhaps in answer to this new services are emerging where companies can receive updates from an intermediary (PR agency, marketing bureau) to identify the conversations that are most noteworthy, contain significant criticism or originate from an influential commentator.

“Collaboration Marketing”

2006-08-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

Good post on the new customer-centric approach to marketing, and the new metrics that will be required for this approach, on the blog Edge Perspectives with John Hagel:

These shifts have broad implications in terms of marketing strategy, branding and marketing performance metrics. To start with marketing strategy and again at the risk of over-simplification, conventional marketing is built upon the three “I’s”:
Intercept – target and expose customers to your message wherever you can find them.
Inhibit – make it as difficult as possible for the customer to compare your product or service with any other options.
Isolate – enter into a direct relationship with the customer and, wherever possible, remove all third parties from the relationship.
Nirvana is the walled garden of direct marketing. It is captured in the mantra of “one to one marketing” – one vendor dealing individually with each customer.
A different approach will be required to succeed in a business landscape defined by the economic shifts described earlier. I describe this marketing approach “collaboration marketing” and define it in terms of three “A’s”:
Attract – create incentives for people to seek you out.
Assist – the most powerful way to attract people is to be as helpful and engaging with them as possible – this requires a deep understanding of the various contexts in which people might use your products and a willingness to “co-create” products with customers.
Affiliate – mobilize third parties, including other customers, to become even more helpful to the people you interact with.
In contrast to the “one to one marketing” mindset of conventional marketing, collaboration marketing requires a “many to one” mindset. The winners in this new world will be orchestrators who can mobilize rich networks of resources to serve customer needs.

And later...

Conventional brands are built upon product or vendor-centric promises: “Buy from me because I have great products or because I am a great vendor.” These brands are generally eroding in value.
Brands will become even more important and valuable in this new marketing world, but they will be based on a very different customer-centric promise: “Buy from me because I know you as an individual customer better than anyone else and you can trust me to use that knowledge to configure the right bundle of products and services to meet your individual needs.” Note that this is different from customer segment brands like Nike or Disney – customer-centric brands require a deep understanding of the needs of individual customers. Not all companies can or should make the transition to this new kind of brand promise, but those who do will be richly rewarded.

Adopt new performance metrics
Given the shift in business economics defined earlier, companies need to move from measures of performance based on product or facility economics to measures based on customer economics. Two key questions will increasingly shape business performance. First, what is the average life time value of customers – how much does it cost to acquire a customer, what is the average length of a relationship with a customer, and how much profit is generated over the lifetime of the customer? Second, what is the 80/20 segmentation of customers – which 20% of customers generate 80% of the profitability and why? Few companies today can systematically answer these questions.

Five Rules of Creativity

2005-11-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

Following up the post on the Dan Wieden, I came across another cool interview, this one with Wieden + Kennedy's creative director Jelly Helm.

Here are W+K's five rules of creativity from an interview in "Men's Health" last Spring:

Act Stupid. "Our philosophy is to come in ignorant every day.
The idea of retaining ignorance is sort of counterintuitive, but it subverts a lot of [problems] that come from absolute mastery. if you think you know the answer better than somebody else does, you become closed to being fresh." states Jelly Helm, creative director.

Shut up. "The first thing we do when we meet with clients is listen. We try to figure out what their problems are. Then we come back with questions, not solutions. We write these out and put them on the wall. And then we circle the ones that we think are interesting. More often than not, the questions hold the answer."

Always say yes. "What I've learned from improvisation is to let go of outcome and just say yes to what4ever the situation is. If you say an idea is bad, you're creating conflict--you're breaking an improv rule. You want an energy flow that moves you forward, as opposed to a creative stasis."

Chase Talent. "Find people who make you better. It's best to be the least talented person in the room. It's reciprocal. It challenges you to keep up."

Be Fearless. "Do anything, say anything. In the words of our president, Dan Wieden, 'You're not useful to me until you've made three momentous mistakes.' He knows that if you try not to make mistakes, you miss out on the value of learning from them."

"Idea is King"

2005-11-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice quote from an interview with Dan Wieden that appeared in the Wall Street Journal.

WSJ: For years marketers ballyhooed about the virtues of having a global ad firm that had offices in hundreds of markets around the world. Is that sentiment changing? And if so why?

Mr. Wieden: Yes. Obviously I sense change. You can see it with who we are going to bed with these days. When all this consolidation went on there was many voices that said 'scale is king' and it turns out -- thank God -- that the idea is king. At the end of the day, one individual with one good idea can trump an entire network of thousands who don't have an idea.

Dan Wieden is Co-founder of Wieden + Kennedy, an ad agency located in beautiful Portland, Oregon, and well known for their creative approach and highly successful Nike campaigns.

Are ads ruining the movie going experience?

2005-06-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

Back in September of 2004 I wrote about the potential for the growing barrage of advertising in the theaters to turn customers off.

Now there is some evidence that's exactly what is happening.

In today's Los Angeles Times, an article suggested that the downturn in the 2005 box office, which is off 9% from a year ago, might be because the theaters are driving audiences away.

"The overall moviegoing experience has become a shell of its former self. Even as theaters offer stadium seats and martinis, moviegoers are being bombarded with countless advertisements and coming attractions."

DreamWorks spokesperson Terry Press agreed, saying that the ads ruin the value of movie trailers, the studios' most powerful marketing tool.

Producer Richard Zanuck added that moviegoers "come to see the film and not to be sold something else."

People who care about the movie business, including the theater owners, the studios, producers, directors and writers need to get back to basics and focus on the audience.

Apple has made the switch to Intel

2005-06-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

It's now official, Apple is swithcing to Intel chips.

Of course there are still a ton of questions about the ramifications.

Mac rumored to be 'switching' to Intel

2005-06-05T23:34:00.000-07:00

Apple is rumored to be announcing a new partnership with Intel at Apple's World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC) tomorrow, which would make June 6, 2005, a remarkable date in high tech history.

Wired has an interesting take on Apple's motive.

This theory is that Apple wants to take advantage of the new Pentium D chips. Released just days ago, the Pentium D dual-core chips include Digital Rights Management capability, which could allow movies to be bought and stored on a Mac.

The next logical steps in this scenario could be video-capable iPods, an iFlick store, and an array of new video driven devices.

This is just one of hundreds of theories flying around.

Doc Searls thinks that what's really going on is thatIntel may be moving toward making PPC chips.

The New York Timers puts the emphasis on the need for power boosts in Mac laptops:

"Apple, according to analysts, has become increasingly alarmed by I.B.M.'s failure to deliver a new version of its Power PC chip, called the G5, that does not generate much heat - a crucial feature for notebook computers, which do not have as much room for fans and ventilation as desktop machines."

Whichever theory is correct, and these are just a few of them, it's an exciting event and sure to give high tech a good kick in the pants.

Still great opportunity in corporate blogging

2005-05-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

There's a report recently put out by eMarketer that states only 4 per cent of leading U.S. corporations had 'public' blogs so far for corporate marketing, communications or advertising.

Here's a quote from Ezra Palmer, eMarketer's editorial director:

"Blogging is an explosively popular social phenomenon that is spilling into the business world. But thus far the financial and economic impact of blogging has been minimal."

Some in the marketing community have been depressed by this report. In fact, all it means is that there is still tremendous room for growth. Weblogs in the corporate world are growing. And there is still a great opportunity for creating marketing, communications and advertising blogs to get your message out. Especially if you leverage them.

It reminds of the early days of the Web when I was evangelizing the Web to every person I met. I can't tell you how many executives and managers at large corporations, including some of the best known high tech firms in the world, told me their company didn't see any future in it.

'Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose...'

"You have to be part of the conversation..."

2005-05-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

Conversational marketing is gaining momentum. And it's about time. After all, in real life when the noise level and hyperbole increases, a civilized tone is often the only message that gets through.

There's another article on blogs and marketing, this time on the CNN website.

Here are some quotes...

"As mainstream media -- "MSM" in blogspeak -- grapples with whether to join, fight or ignore the burgeoning phenomenon, some intrepid marketers see blogs as a way to capture the attention of Web "influencers," early adopters of trends or products who spread the word to friends.

"Beth Kirsch, senior marketing manager at audio content provider Audible.com, said the blog world is different from more mainstream outlets, requiring edgier and more engaging advertising for an audience that tends to be younger, more affluent and hungry for unique points of view.

"'You have to be part of the conversation,' Kirsch said, referring to a key principle from 'The Cluetrain Manifesto,' a 2000 book that many see as the bible of online marketing."

Starting a conversation, engaging people, asking customers what they REALLY want, and keeping that dialogue going - that's the future of successful marketing.

WSJ Article on Marketing Blogs

2005-05-05T14:06:00.001-07:00

Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal on blogs and marketing.

Here's a quote:

"Found amid the unvarnished opinion and helter-skelter discussion on Web logs, or blogs, is something crucial to any marketer: raw consumer feedback. With that in mind, companies are embarking on the delicate task of turning "corporate blog" from an oxymoron into the latest channel for direct marketing to customers and prospects."

Marketing is supposed to be about the customer, about feedback and metrics.

Yet when most marketers are handed tools to get real, "raw consumer feedback" they don't understand how valuable that really is.

Good Post on Conversational Marketing

2005-04-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

Conversational Marketing grew in large part out of "The Cluetrain Manifesto".

I love "The Cluetrain Manifesto". But Conversational Marketing is also part of a wider long-term movement toward improving the tone and style of marketing.

Shel Israel has a great post about Conversational Marketing on his blog ItSeemsToMe blog that addesses this. Here's a quote that I thought hit the nail on the head:

"Conversational Marketing is nothing new. ItÂs basically the concept that people respond better to lowered voices spoken in credible tones than they do to the aggressive in-your-face marketing speak as is evidences in everything from TV ads to the pap-lingo of so many website. If common sense prevailed, marketers would understand that simply conversing with customers, prospects, partners, investors and employees is more effective. People listen better and longer when you just talk to them and listen back. All too often professional marketers lose their credibility by hyperbole, hubris and amplification. It seems to me self evident that just talking with people is more effective than shouting and repeating yourself as if your audience was comprised of deaf idiots."

I love his point that people absorb more, and accept more, when you talk to them in a civilized tone and listen to their answers. It's so obvious and also a nice condensation of the concept of Conversational Marketing.

It appears Shel is working on a book with Robert Scoble. I'm looking forward to it.

Radical Marketing

2005-02-12T07:04:00.000-08:00

The book "Radical Marketing : From Harvard to Harley, Lessons From Ten That Broke the Rules and Made It Big" presents 10 successful businesses that succeeded through a "radical" approach to marketing.

The companies include Harley Davidson, The Grateful Dead, Harvard Business School, the Boston Beer Company, Iams Company, and Virgin Atlantic Airways. They vary in size, history, industry and structure, but all followed the ten rules of Radical Marketing:

1. The CEO must own the marketing function
2. Make sure the marketing department starts small and flat and stays small and flat
3. Get out of the head office and face-to-face with the people who matter most - the customers
4. Use market research cautiously
5. Hire only passionate missionaries
6. Love and respect your customers
7. Create a community of consumers
8. Rethink the marketing mix
9. Celebrate uncommon sense
10. Be true to the brand

Some of the big take-aways are that marketers should love and respect their customers, get out the office and interact with the them, devleop a community with customers, constantly innovate, and search for ways to create a real impact.

I also liked the fact that they used the Grateful Dead as an example of innovative marketing.

Blogging 101

2005-01-10T16:20:00.000-08:00

Technorati has a beginners guide to blogging that's pretty good.

Five Rules of Creativity

2004-11-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

Following up the post on the Dan Wieden, I came across another cool interview, this one with Wieden + Kennedy's creative director Jelly Helm.

Here are W+K's five rules of creativity from an interview in "Men's Health" last Spring:

Act Stupid. "Our philosophy is to come in ignorant every day.
The idea of retaining ignorance is sort of counterintuitive, but it subverts a lot of [problems] that come from absolute mastery. if you think you know the answer better than somebody else does, you become closed to being fresh." states Jelly Helm, creative director.

Shut up. "The first thing we do when we meet with clients is listen. We try to figure out what their problems are. Then we come back with questions, not solutions. We write these out and put them on the wall. And then we circle the ones that we think are interesting. More often than not, the questions hold the answer."

Always say yes. "What I've learned from improvisation is to let go of outcome and just say yes to what4ever the situation is. If you say an idea is bad, you're creating conflict--you're breaking an improv rule. You want an energy flow that moves you forward, as opposed to a creative stasis."

Chase Talent. "Find people who make you better. It's best to be the least talented person in the room. It's reciprocal. It challenges you to keep up."

Be Fearless. "Do anything, say anything. In the words of our president, Dan Wieden, 'You're not useful to me until you've made three momentous mistakes.' He knows that if you try not to make mistakes, you miss out on the value of learning from them."

Knowing the magic words

2004-11-11T11:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's good for all of us to go back to basics. Like kindergarten lessons.

Remember the magic words?

Well, MSNBC has an article about how saying you're sorry can help avoid a lawsuit.

The article is about medical malpractice lawsuits, but it can be applied to any business relationship.

Here are some quotes:

"It'?s a lesson children learn even before their ABCs, 'Say you're sorry when you hurt someone. But it's now being taught in the grown-up world of medicine as a surprisingly powerful way to soothe patients and head off malpractice lawsuits.

"Some malpractice-reform advocates say an apology can help doctors avoid getting sued, especially when combined with an upfront settlement offer.

"The idea defies a long tradition in which doctors cultivated a Godlike image of infallibility and rarely owned up to their mistakes."

Later the article continues:

"The say-you're-sorry movement has been prompted in part by emerging evidence about the scope of medical errors. An Institute of Medicine report in 1999 said, mistakes kill as many as 98,000 hospitalized Americans each year.

"Supporters of the strategy want the Illinois Legislature to adopt a program called 'Sorry Works' that recommends apologies and settlements when mistakes occur. Under the proposed pilot program, two Illinois hospitals would be recruited to see if the policy saves money."

One of the creators of the policy added, "Not only was it the right thing to do, but over the long haul, we were saving money by doing things this way."

Why is this so difficult?

Everyone should be trained this way. This article made me think about a recent series of conversations I had with a call center. I had a dispute. They were completely at fault, and it was a problem they could fix with just a little bit of effort. The first tier phone individual was rude and adversarial. Her manager was polite and helpful. The first employee hardened my position and made me angry with her company. The second one softened my attitude, solved my problem, and improved my disposition toward her company. And she did it most of it just by displaying good manners.

If every company could teach their employees basic manners, and the power of magic words like "please", "thank you" and "I'm sorry" the total resulting savings could reach into the billions.

Networked markets, Kryptonite & Ashlee Simpson

2004-10-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

The Cluetrain Manifesto appeared in 1999, but it continues to reverberate. Among it's many thought provoking concepts, such as conversational marketing, it advanced the concept of "networked markets".

"A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter, and getting smarter faster than most companies."

What does it mean when networked markets are self-organizing faster than the companies that traditionally served them? Here are some key Cluetrain concepts that focus on networked markets:

"Markets are getting smarter, more informed, more organized."

"Participation in a networked market changes people fundamentally."

"People in networked markets have figured out that they get far better information and support from one another than from vendors - as opposed to corporate rhetoric about adding value to commoditized products."

"The networked market knows more than companies do about their own products. And whether the news is good or bad, they tell everyone."

"Networked markets can change suppliers overnight... 'Loyalty? What's that?' "

"There are no secrets. "

It's not a question of whether the networked market will have an effect on your business. It's a question of whether or not you're ready.

Which brings me around to some recent news, one involving Kryptonite locks and one about Ashlee Simpson.

Scoble has written about how embracing corporate blogging could have helped the Kyptonite lock company out of a huge current mess by presenting a human face and dealing more quickly with a problem with their locks that spread like wildfire on the internet.

On the entertainment front, the singer Ashlee Simpson was caught lip synching on Saturday Night Live. Her fans reacted badly and shared their anger with her all over the internet. But it wasn't the lip synching that enraged them, it was her reaction. She lied about it and said she hadn't lip synched at all. She then tried to blame her band. She finally settled on acid reflux as the cause.

The makers of acid reflux medicine love all the publicity, but her young fans see it as a lack of honesty and responsibility.

Gossip columnist Jeanette Wells offered advice that corporations and celebrities alike can learn from:

1. Don't fake it.
2. Don't lie to cover up a mistake.
3. If you make a fool of yourself in public, don't compound the problem by doing a jig.

Remember, "There are no secrets."

By the way, do you have a company blog?

Medium migration is the message

2004-10-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

Lots happening in the expanding world of entertainment technology.

This week, Microsoft released the Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.

To quote Microsoft, "Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is an operating system that enables you to enjoy the best in home entertainment, personal productivity, and creativity on your home PC in an easy, complete, and connected way. With Media Center Edition 2005, you can store, share, and enjoy all of your photos, all of your music, all of your home video, and even recorded TV in one sleek and easy to use place."

How do they do that? By combining entertainment technology and computers into a single device. Media Center includes things like:

A TV tuner

A hardware encoder that enables you to record TV shows from cable, satellite, or antenna to your hard disk

A TV output that allows you to display Media Center content on a television connected to your computer

A digital audio output that allows you to integrate digital audio from your computer into an existing home entertainment system

A compatible remote control

An advanced graphics card

Computer quality processors

Enough memory for most computing and entertainment needs

High-capacity hard disks

CD-ROM/DVD drives

Advanced graphics and audio capabilities

Networking connectivity

The Windows Media Center has been around for awhile, but the functionality keeps expanding.

On the Apple front, there are rumors this week of a 60 gigabyte iPod coming, with a larger screen that supports color. There's a lot of speculation about what this means for the future. iPhoto? Video? The iPod now own more than 90% of the MP3 market.

Also this week, high definition movies are coming to the Internet. CinemaNow, an online movie company, announced that it will begin making high-definition movies available for download from its site, using Windows Media High Definition format.

And finally, Bill Gates this week gave an interesting quote to the Hollywood Reporter, "The ideal for many content people [producers] would be that they just put their content on the Internet and then they have a direct relationship with the viewer."

Like podcasting, these developments will have continuing ripples.

Blogger's boat bash

2004-10-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I went boating with Robert Scoble, his wife Maryam, and Scott "Channel Pro" Karren on Scott's MC30 power catamaran. Oh, and Channel9 guy came along, too.

What a blast!

Here's a photo of Scoble steering, with Scott navigating and drinking pop.

Scott picked us up in Edmonds in the early afternoon. We motored south to the Seattle waterfront, then over to West Seattle, where we surprised people on Alki beach when we pulled right up on shore, dropped the ramp and walked down onto the beach. It gets them every time...

We then crossed the Sound, had lunch at Docks on Bainbridge Island, and afterwards headed back to Edmonds.

We talked about a million things during the day, like blogging (naturally), conversational marketing, video production, Channel9, podcasting, the Microsoft culture, tablets, channels, branding, opportunities in China, and the future direction of technology.

We even got boarded by the Coast Guard, who've been very active in the Puget Sound.

The Coast Guard didn't seem to bother Channel9 guy, but then nothing seems to bother him...

It's a great way to get together. The weather was perfect and the company fun. We'll have to do it again.

Your effectiveness and your customer's behavior

2004-10-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

There's another good article on the Harvard Business School site, on a topic of great interest to me.

"Start to Measure Your E-commerce Success" addresses some of the criteria involved in determining e-commerce success or failure. I've seen plenty of both, and know how few people really understand how to measure e-commerce.

As one of the first web developers in Seattle, I got called in on many early web adventures. In late 1995 I started working on a project for a company called iCat. They produced catalogs on CD-Rom, and they wanted me to develop a web version that could connect to a database.

At the same time, I also had the opportunity to do something similar for a company a couple of blocks away, a little outfit called Amazon. Since they were just selling books, I figured iCat was the better bet, since they were building software that would allow thousands of companies to build a web storefront. ICat sounded like the better opportunity.

Shows how much I know...

I would ask what the executives at iCat wanted, but the truth was nobody really knew. I had to figure most of it out in my own, reviewing every site I could find, experimenting with various layouts, wording, and approaches. How do you organize the page? How do you present the products? How do you account for the variety of companies and industries? I'd worked in sales, so I had some ideas, but it was still a lot of trial and error.

I spent the next 2 years figuring how the heck people would buy stuff on the web. I created dozens and dozens of template sets with various looks and feels. I built a mall. Eventually, the hardest thing for me was that I had gotten a good idea of what worked and what didn't, but the powers that be did not always listen.

After 2 years I left iCat. A year later, running low on funds, the company was sold to Intel. Eventually I went on to work on some of the most interesting e-commerce projects around, including HomeGrocer.com and the first online pharmacy Soma.com, which was bought by CVS. Besides the strict e-commerce sites, I also created state-of-the-art extranets and intranets, media-streaming sites, and marketing sites. Some people hired me as a consultant, some as a manager, some as a developer.

But I never felt most executives racing into the field really "got it". And I never felt they researched enough. I still don't.

I had discovered not only the value of this new way of doing business, but of the value of its study, its research, and most important of getting good feedback from the behavior of real live customers. I developed a unique set of tools that I've never seen duplicated.

Study the effectiveness of what you're doing and constantly learn from it. Use metrics, but make sure they're the right ones. And most important, remember that as long as you know how to do it right, the best feedback always comes from the behavior of customers.