CK's Blog

The thin line (and hidden wires) between success and disaster

This past week I awoke to a great Christmas. And the day after I awoke to a computer meltdown.

I kept turning my computer on, only for it to shut down without warning. Sometimes it would stay on for 10 minutes and then go black. Other times it would fool me into thinking it had righted itself and work for nearly an hour and then...poof!...shut down again.

As with all computer problems it was terribly frustrating. I kept losing documents that I had almost finished and I would get three-quarters of the way through an engaging article and then miss the climactic ending.

But what was different about this particular problem was that it was clearly not a garden-variety software issue that phone support could walk me through. Nope, this time I found myself in uncharted waters, because for the first time in all the years I've used computers (and the many laptops I've owned), I was faced with a hardware issue.

And the only way to resolve a hardware issue is to take apart the unit.

First things first: diagnosing the problem

I successfully diagnosed the problem as I noticed that the laptop's cooling fan--the component that keeps the processor from overheating--wasn't doing its job. So I deduced that either something was stuck in the fan or the fan was shot.

But get to the fan I must.

Now, when you're working with a desktop computer it's much easier as usually you're just removing the CPU's cover to expose the hardware. But with a laptop everything is very compact; so there's much greater room for error as you have to carefully pry apart the casing to expose the hardware.

So I frantically scanned through CraigsList ads to find a tech specialist that was both available to meet over a holiday weekend and that was comfortable working with hardware issues (not just software).

Taking matters into my own hands... almost

While I waited for the specialist to arrive I started getting antsy and decided to soldier on. After all, I had diagnosed the problem all on my own and I'm academically familiar with what makes computers tick (after all, I scored As in all my computer and Information Systems classes).

Once I finally located a tiny enough screwdriver and undid a zillion tiny screws I was ready to start prying the casing apart. After I made some headway and was able to partially pull off one side of the casing, I spotted the nefarious ball of dust that was stalling my fan and spoiling my weekend.

But in order to reach said dustball I needed just a little more wiggle room so I pried a wee bit more. And that's when I spotted the risk: if I pried the casing apart any further I would rip several wires that were connecting my laptop's hardware to the underside of my keyboard. Resolution was within my grasp--but so too was the risk of doing serious damage to my computer.

So I put the laptop down and waited a few minutes more for the specialist to show up. And I'm sure glad I did.

Once on the scene, he lauded my ability to diagnose the problem and ready the computer for him, but equally so at STOPPING before I did any damage. He carefully disconnected the various wires in various ways as some were levers, but others required pinching them to unhook them.

Who knew different wires in the same laptop necessitated different ways to disconnect them? You guessed it, the specialist did.

(And now my computer works like a charm.)

What's the marketing takeaway?

I've said it before but I'll say it again: In an age where it's so easy for companies to launch a blog, whip together a podcast or start a Twitter account, it's also easy to fail. We all need a guide when in uncharted waters. There are plenty of guides and formats, be it a third-party agency, independent consultant or in-house employee.

Because as simple as it is to write and publish a post, launch a YouTube video--or rip the casing off a laptop computer--it's equally simple to incorrectly assess the risks (and wires!) that could foil your efforts.

Or wreck your laptop.

And sometimes, with the right guide, you'll get even more value than you bargained for--mine happened to not only teach me new lessons but also gave me 2 gigs of RAM that he happened to have on hand... which I aptly deemed a Christmas miracle ;-). 

PS: should you need a tech specialist, I'm happy to introduce you to Juan Rosario--and should you need a marketing guide I have an entire network that I'll also introduce you to, many of whom are listed on my blogroll on the sidebar at the left.

A hit on traditional... but missing on social

Like many of us, I delight in my DVR's capability to record my TV shows for later viewing... but I equally enjoy the ability to zip past the noise that is 99% of today's commercials.

So when I find a commercial that I like enough to watch--enough to rewind and re-watch the spot--it warrants a post.

Because it happens so rarely.

What's not rare, unfortunately, is when a terrific traditional campaign hits it big...only to strike out on the many social media opportunities they're afforded. (I advocate integrating programs across media.)

Let's first start with the campaign, which started in late 2006 I believe, for Jimmy Dean's line of breakfast dishes featuring their famous sausage. (I think the ad agency responsible for the creative is TBWA\Chiat\Day).

What's great about the ads? They do a terrific job of communicating the key benefits of the product--great-tasting; variety; fast and easy to make--as well as positioning the company around "breakfast." They do so through a witty narrative featuring the weather, most notably the sun, the moon and even a cloud.

Let me first show you a couple spots and then I'll talk what's missing on the social side. Email and RSS subscribers, you'll need to click through to the blog to view these spots.

Here's the sun and the moon (who is due to be full that night):

And here they are during an eclipse:

As you can see, by featuring these "everyday guys" in silly suits, instead of using hi-tech animated characters, brings then down to earth and makes them very likable. Like other campaigns, they've successfully made an otherwise inanimate object human... and we humans like that because now we can relate to them (they even speak our language ;-).

So, what are the missed opportunities? I found several, including:

*Maintain your Web site. At their Web site they have a clearly marked area for videos...yet it only features one of their many commercials instead of the entire series. So in trying to show these to my marketing colleagues, I had to do several searches in YouTube. But I shouldn't have to search to share and promote a product (for free). Which leads to my next point...

*Maintain your YouTube page, too. In finding what I assume is their YouTube page--it hasn't been updated in months (nor do they link to it from their Web site). Even worse, I can't find any of their commercials through it. So I had to do searches in hopes that others have uploaded the spots. Which brings me to my next point...

*Promote videos that others have created about you. In having to slog through YouTube searches, I even found a video segment where a man spends 6 minutes reviewing the product as part of his great Web series on frozen foods (who rated the product 4.5 out of 5 stars!). Why wouldn't Jimmy Dean want to publicly thank this man as well as feature his glowing video review somewhere on their own Web site? Which brings me to my next point...

*Treat your audience to a special treat. At their Web site and through searches for the spots, I found quite a bit of good feedback on these commercials. So they've succeeded at getting positive attention. But now that they've garnered attention, the objective is to keep it (and amplify it). At their site, they could feature ways to allow people to sign-up so that they're (1) notified when a new commercial or Webisode is released and (2) offer them the chance to sign-up to view the newest commercials 48 - 72 hrs. before they debut on national TV. Folks, people love being "in the know" or privy to knowledge before the general public. Which brings me to my next point...

*Engage your fans by giving them a hand in the story. They could poll consumers which "weather character" to introduce next in their series. For instance, maybe it's time for Mother Nature to hold her annual board meeting...or for the wind's stomach to "roar with hunger" or snowflakes to fall now that it's winter in the U.S. In any case, engaging your fans only serves Jimmy Dean in engaging people around breakfast--which is the meal they're working (and spending big bucks) to firmly position around. Which brings me to my last point...

*Use Twitter to stay in touch with your audience--and use it in creative ways. On their Web site they feature short recipe demos that teach consumers how to cook different dishes (like "sausage fajitas") using their products. They could start a Twitter account (I could not find a Twitter account for them, but I might be missing it) and promote these recipe videos, as well as recipes submitted by their customers. Also, being they have these fun characters, they could also get creative with Twitter and highlight different weather patterns all over the U.S. with the various characters having some fun with one another. 

OK I fibbed, I have several more marketing pointers but this post has already gone too long. (If Jimmy Dean or their agency is listening, they can comment or drop me an email so I can better explain.)

But my over-arching point for ALL marketers, using this great campaign as an example, is this...

When you have a hit on your hands, don't miss out on cost-effective, creative ways to extend your traditional campaign into social media with efforts that engage your fans... and bring you yet more attention. After all, isn't attention--that leads to sales--what we're all after? Especially at a time when the main action that consumers take with commercials is to fast forward through them.

The secret of social media is this: It’s a tremendously complex medium that takes strategy, sensitivity, time, creativity and trust. (Sorry, I know you wanted a shortcut)

It needs to be said (likely a few times).  You see, due to low barriers—“Sign up through platform XYZ.com and you can launch a really pretty blog within an hour!”-- social media is far and away the easiest medium to enter.

But it’s the hardest medium to understand.

Why is it so complex? Because it changes a lot of what we've learned up 'til now--and that requires a lot of change from marketers. What all has changed? Well, lots.

*No clear boundaries. With other media come easy-to-understand “boundaries.” Not so much here. For example, if you want to advertise on TV or Radio you’re pretty much confined to the boundaries of “What creative content/message/offer/campaign can I unleash across a slew of 15, 30 or 60-second spots?” And with print? There again, you’re looking at the confines of display ads of a certain size, so the boundaries are whether you want to place a full-page, half-page or quarter-page ad—or sponsor content for the ‘advetorial’ section.

But with social media, you’re not assessing “boundaries” so much as you’re assessing your many options (i.e. which tools you want to use, and how to use them to create a robust program). And while options are a blessed thing for any marketer, they're more challenging since you're building something from scratch... rather than working within a set of well-defined guidelines.

*No cookie cutters, either. There’s a saying in health care technology that goes like so, “If you’ve seen one hospital, you’ve seen ONE hospital.” What it's explaining is that the tech solutions for one hospital don’t necessarily translate to others.. even though we're still talking hospitals. Sure, there are best practices across the board but, truly, each facility is its own animal with its own set of challenges, competencies, audiences, and so on. Thus, tech solutions need to be customized to each and every hospital environment. Same thing with social media.

Just because one company in your sector had great luck with a program that engaged a lot of evangelists by way of a contest, it might not work for yours. Rather, you might have greater success in building a program that helps to solve problems, rather than one that extends benefits (though solving a problem is indeed beneficial). You can leverage the successes of other programs but you won't always have success in replicating them. So you'll be pushed to be creative. Go forth and blaze your own 2.0 trail.

*One must get past thinking “technology” and, instead, think “humans.” I often tell clients that much of my role, when it comes to social media, is not to teach them how to leverage technology; but to teach them how to become more human (it’s just that technology facilitates the process). Let’s face it, when knocking around such terms as “blog”, "microblogs," “wiki”, “widgets” and “podcasts” we really do sound more alien than human.

But I am not a borg selling a blog; I'm a marketer tasked with engaging my audience. As I assure them, humans are on the other side of those comments and content. And our job is to build programs that build relationships that, above all else, build trust. Thus, technology is playing a supporting role.

*The little guy is king. With other mediums, the business calls the shots. Said another way, there would be no newspapers, magazines or PennySavers, if it weren’t for the publishing companies that operate those outlets. Same thing with radio broadcasters and cable TV networks.

But with social media, this medium will be here (and remain here) due to consumers, not CEOs. Those little guys ensure the viability of the medium by sharing their ideas, opinions, preferences, passions, likes, dislikes and beliefs. This is as true in B2B as in B2C. And while the famous adage is that "The customer is always right," it's best to remember that the little guy now rules the kingdom. Learn to love this new principle... or at least try really hard not be threatened by it.

*Guidelines are funny and somewhat fuzzy. While areas like transparency are pretty well defined, many others are not. Some audiences are far more sensitive to seeing ads next to, or within, content than others. It's case-specific and marketers will have to be mindful of their audience's sensitivity levels and respect them. Because we're dealing with humans (see above) and because those humans are king (see above).

*It takes time to build momentum--and even more time to maintain it. I know well the equal feelings of accomplishment and relief when an initiative—be it an ad campaign, a corporate event or a position paper—is "all set." You feel drained from all the energy you've expended, excited about how well it came together and relieved that it won’t have to be the first thing you have to think about for the next 2 weeks as it has been consuming your life for the last 2 months.

But social media doesn't have a stop date. You have to nurture the relationships you've built, continue to offer your audience value so that they continue to invest time (and money) in your company and stay on top of their feedback--whether they're giving that feedback to you directly or within other conversations they're holding on the Web. You're in it for the long-haul now.

All told, social media will test the brains, brawn and malleability of your company’s marketers. Hey, I may be hip to the whole 2.0 deal, but I well understand how tough the transition can be. But change we must. Because as marketers, change is our game. And our successes are largely a function of how well we adapt to changing customers, needs, demands, sectors, business models and technologies.

So, why should a company go to the 2.0 trouble? Because of the tremendous benefits.

Social media lets you get closer to more of your customers (and prospects) than any other medium, because through these tools you can interact with them. And if treated well, those customers will not only continue to buy from you, but they'll tell others to buy from you. What's more, they'll tell you... for free!... how to better your product. So you can win in the present day and win in future days, too. Plus, in exercising strategy, sensitivity, time, creativity and trust, the world (wide web) can truly be your oyster.

Sorry if you were looking for a shortcut (or a short post).

PS: I have an entire section devoted to "all things 2.0" that includes several articles and posts with some tips, benefits and pointers that might be helpful to you, they're right here.

The work you do... before you do the work

As more and more companies are eyeing Web 2.0 (or "social media") possibilities, they have a lot of questions. That's understandable. While all of these tools and technologies are business as usual to many of us who have been participating in social media, they're new as a shiny new toy on Christmas morn' to many others.

Basically, when it comes to delving into “all things Web 2.0” each company should be asking questions. But make sure you're asking the right questions, including:

• Tools that support strategy: Which tools--of the many tools available like blogs, wikis, widgets, social networks and so many others--will support our specific strategy and goals?
• Programs that differentiate: How can we use social media to develop a program that will differentiate us from what competitors are doing in this space (and others)?
• Value proposition: How will the program lend value to our customers and prospects… and how will it build a community of interested readers/participants? Your program may give thought leadership, it may solve problems, it may create a community where people can network--or it may do all of these things. Just like your other marketing programs, it has to offer a strong and ongoing value proposition.
• Branding: You'll want to determine how you'll brand your program and while this will likely be an extension of the brand you've already created, you'll want to understand the tone, style and personality that you'll want to exude.
• Content strategy: What will be our content strategy so that the effort remains “fresh” and populated with new content? You won't just be creating "the thing" you'll need to nurture and grow "the thing" and thus, the content needs its own strategy so as to determine focus, writers, special content series and the like.
• Learning curve: How can we get up-to-speed on the rules and practices of social media so that we launch strong? There's much to learn and while some of it can be learned by reading and doing, it helps to have a guide (this WSJ article calls this guide a "technopologist" due to their skills in technology, marketing and sociology/psychology). This may be an internal or third-party resource.
• Plan for promotion: How will we use both social media as well as other media to promote awareness of this new program? Like any new program it needs to be promoted. The difference is that social media can be used for both increasing awareness of the program as well as creating the actual program.
• Plan for listening and monitoring: You'll need to keep a close ear to the ground so you'll want a plan for listening and monitoring feedback that occurs at your "place" or any others (the blogosphere is a really, really big place). You'll also want to appoint a professional or a team that's in charge of responding... after all, a real conversation is what you're after and you'll want to use all feedback to improve and as an opportunity to build and/or strengthen relationships.
• Processes: As a core part of determining your strategy and plan you'll need to identify and codify processes that will support the launch, maintenance and optimization of your programs. Think of it as such: a program gives birth to an idea, but a process ensures that the idea has a long, healthy life.
  
• Success metrics: Your team will need to establish how you'll determine success. Is it sales? Increased awareness? A certain number of unique visitors or participants? For each company and endeavor, the metrics are case-specific, just be sure to (1) pinpoint how you'll measure success + (2) that those measurement systems are put into place at the same time that your program is implemented + (3) that you are staying on top of your progress so as to understand where you're doing well and where you need to optimize.

And once you've done the above work...then you can get to work ;-).

My point is only the upfront thinking, planning and analysis that is involved. While it may seem like a lot, you'll thank me for it. After all, anything worth doing is worth doing right... especially in times where budgets and brainpower may be more limited than in years' past.

PS: I have an entire section devoted to "all things 2.0" that includes several articles and posts with some tips, benefits and pointers that might be helpful to you, they're right here (and Happy 2.0, it's a challenging and rewarding medium).

Inspiration from the factory floor...

Every holiday there emerges that one special story, so I hope you’ll pardon me for deviating from my marketing beat.

But this year the tale that has tugged at my heart is not the stuff of Christmas miracles, but about 200 guys who, through fighting to be treated fairly, have inspired an entire nation.

If you’ve not been following the story, 200 workers from Republic Windows and Doors Factory in Chicago, Illinois, staged a 5-day sit-in after being laid-off without warning. They weren’t crying over a 10 million-dollar bonus. They simply wanted what was due them... which equates to approximately $6,000 per worker and for the health insurance that protects their families not to be canceled without warning.

What followed was a shining example of a community of workers that united through a very peaceful, creative protest... and fought for justice in times that are anything but. Given that this is a time of the year that should be spent celebrating, I'm honoring them in the post that you can read in full by clicking here.

Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images (from CNN article)

Recessions (and rats)

A rat (yes, a rat) inspired my latest post over at The Daily Fix. Fact is, some experiments can teach us a lot about how fear of situations can be perceived as badly (or worse!) than the situations themselves.

What does that have to do with marketing?

That fear--most notably, the fear over the current recession--can cause marketers to make bad decisions... or delay decisions. Yet right now, we need smart, sound decisions more than ever.

So, don't be a rat: go here to learn more and chat it with us.

Black Friday? BIG Black Mark to the profession.

I often need to explain to my friends why retailers and media use the term "Black Friday" in referring to the day after Thanksgiving. After all, it's a rather ominous term to attach to the much ballyhooed "busiest shopping day of the year."

(The term derives from retailers moving from "in the red" to "in the black" on their balance sheets as the holiday season can bring them nearly 30% of their annual revenues.)

But, sadly, this past Friday lived up to its name. If you've not yet heard, in promoting “Black Friday” sales. A crowd at a New York-based WalMart that started waiting as early as 9pm Thursday--which swelled to as many as 2,000 by 5am Friday--got angry, mobbed the store, removed the doors from the hinges, and trampled a male employee and a pregnant female.

And, in my opinion, this is a BIG black mark for the marketing profession. While it happened at Walmart, the practice of big sales and scarcity strategies are not at all limited to the nation's largest retailer... and some simple preparations could have saved lives (literally) while still assuring high sales. Or, said from a responsible marketing standpoint: it would have put people ahead of profits. Sigh.

I'm discussing it in far more detail over at The Daily Fix: please join me here for the post and discussion.