CK's Blog

Small Fish, Big Ocean

This week I’ll be joining a panel for the SES Event in NYC to discuss social media, specifically as it pertains to small businesses. The panel I'm a part of is titled “Small Voices, Big Impact: Social Media for the Little Guy.”

While my client projects span large, medium and start-up businesses--and the content I cover here ranges marketing initiatives with all tiers of budgets--small businesses are near and dear to my heart. Because I’m a small business. Or, perhaps I should say I run a small business.

Let's just say I'm a "little guy," too.

So I well understand the realities of running a small business. And those realities usually include small budgets, limited professional resources and lots of competition. (Unless you’re a start-up with a completely new offering; but if there’s a market, competition will surely come, and quickly so.)

Now, depending upon your company’s size--as the SBA defines small business as having anywhere from 1 to 500 employees--you might have a full marketing department, a marketing department of one, or marketing activities might be but one of the many duties of one professional.

But, just like big businesses, you have to be mindful of running your business AND growing your business. And that brings us to social media, another subject that's near and dear to me.

What is so attractive about social media is that it offers a veritable ocean of opportunity for players (fish) of all sizes. There are many tools and technologies that enable you to communicate, network and market just as easily with people located near to you as ones that are located very far away. And these tools are low in cost, many of which cost nothing. So the cost-to-entry is no longer too big for the little guys with BIG ideas.

The cost, however, will be time. Time well spent? Indeed. But another reality is that no matter how advanced the technology, the day is still only 24 hours long (and that includes the night).

So my biggest piece of advice for small businesses is this: absolutely leverage social media to improve and grow your business--but squarely focus on how you'll use it to your best advantage and, moreover, how you can sustain the use of it going forward. Otherwise, a social media initiative can start out with a lot of momentum, but then, after a few weeks, (or few months), companies find it too hard to maintain since, unlike other media, social media doesn't have an end point.

So jump in, the water's fine (and full of hidden treasure!), but before you do, give thought to:

• In what way(s) will you use social media to improve your business... for marketing, research, customer service, community building, an advocacy effort?
• How is the decision above giving your target audience value... and how is it differentiated from what your competitors are doing?
• Which tool(s) will support this strategy... through a blog, Twitter, podcast, wiki or social networking platform?
• How will you ensure that the proper time and professional resources are allocated against your efforts going forward?
• (many more questions to ask and assess at the outset are located here)

And while you're at it, don’t forget to have fun in your new ocean of opportunity. Remember, what small fish lack in size, they make up for in agility and gumption. Don't believe me? Just look how far, and how famous, that little bugger Nemo got.

I look forward to seeing faces both familiar and new at the event.

PS: for more posts on social media strategies, tips and tactics: please go here. 

A "shrinking" economy is no time for shirking values... just ask the hippies

Ben & Jerry's is one of my favorite companies to cover in marketing presentations. Because Ben & Jerry’s isn’t just an ice-cream brand of eccentric flavors, it’s a rich story of a counterculture duo who turned the industry on its head with a story that gave us all a social conscience.

When you think Ben & Jerry's, you don't think of corporate suits in ivory towers. Nowhere near.

You think happy hippies that, in their plight to change the world, changed the ice-cream game--and did so according to their rules, their values and, yes, their signature concoctions. Cherry Garcia. Chunky Monkey. Rainforest Crunch. Bohemian Raspberry. The wonderfully wacky flavors go on and on.

Due to their great product and causes, they've always been in the news cycle because they're so different and far more interesting than those plain ol' vanilla corporate types. But this "shrinking" economy has given them a new platform for them to shine on their old values. Due to Haagen-Daaz's recent shrinkage, Ben & Jerry has launched a brilliant campaign. According to their site:

"One of our competitors (think funny sounding European name) recently announced they will be downsizing their pints from 16 to 14 ounces to cover increased ingredient and manufacturing costs and help improve their bottom line. At Ben & Jerry’s we think downsizing pints is downright wrong. We understand that in today’s hard economic times businesses are feeling the pinch. We also understand that many of you are also feeling the same, and think now more than ever you deserve your full pint of ice cream.   

We are even more committed today to lead with our values through the quality of our ingredients and how we source them to make the best ice cream possible. So, while our competitor may be experiencing a bit of shrinkage, rest assured that your Ben & Jerry’s will still be standing tall in the freezer. Ben & Jerry’s is dedicated to making the best ice cream and giving our consumers full value in every spoonful! Enjoy and Thanks, from all of us at Ben & Jerry's!"

Score another for the hippies. Folks, you can certainly learn technique in business school, but values is something you live--and it does impact the brand, and your bottom line.

It's important to note that Unilever has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000--but has not changed the brand, nor its values (as that would have been catastrophic, and downright dumb).

Disclaimer: I ate a pint--and by a pint I do mean ALL 16 ounces--of Ben & Jerry's "Mint Chocolate Cookie" last week. It did not bias the opinions presented here... but it certainly took my mind off of the economy.

Hitting all the right notes in a recession

We know times are tough. We all feel it. We get that hard times are here and that a rocky road is our foreseeable future. We've either been directly affected by corporate downsizing, or have friends and family that have, or will.

We sleep less, worry more, vow not to read the news before noon and work to not only keep our jobs, but to stay upbeat-- an action point that has all but become a daily mantra.

I don't know about you, but if I get another email that leads with "In these tough times marketing is crucial!," I think I'll scream. (full disclosure: I've already screamed, so I guess I'll do so again).

Then along comes Allstate, a provider of insurance... which, in and of itself, is just about the least sexy, dry-as-dirt subject matter in existence being it's an industry that is squarely focused on risk. After all, you buy insurance to protect against worst-case scenarios. Buying a new car or new house is fun, it gives you a lift. Buying insurance is a necessity, it brings you back down to reality.

And damn if they didn't hit all the right notes in this campaign.

They talks the basics. They keep it simple. Between banks collapsing, financial instruments failing, the stock market imploding and retirement portfolios just *poof!* vanishing, things are already so complex even the experts aren't sure how to navigate us back to sound waters.

Yet Allstate doesn't speak to what we've lost, but to what still remains.

They use a simple score and genuine spokesperson (Dennis Haysbert) that isn't in-your-face with "the best rates possible!" and money-saving gimmicks, but a grounding message of how we're back to the basics. And how the basics are good.

They show images of past recessions, but they don't pander or instill fear. Instead they offer hope since they, too, have weathered tough times. Hats off to Allstate--and to the agency who created this spot--for hitting all the right notes and for keeping with their historic theme of "you're in good hands."

Let's please have more messaging like this and a lot less of what we're seeing. As marketers, we can do better.

And I'm tired of screaming.

Here's the spot--if you're reading via RSS or email, please click through to the blog to view it.

PS: Thanks to MarketingProfs for featuring this post in their "Get to the Point!" newsletter here

The objective is not "buzz"... it's buzz that leads to brand ROI. (Because 2.0 talk ain't cheap)

I'm seeing a lot of brands seeking buzz--and I'm seeing a lot of companies and consultants promising it.

What I'm hearing A LOT less of is talk about results (or, ROI).

Yes, you want people talking (or, buzzing) about your brand. And you really want them saying great things. Negative buzz isn't a lot of fun -- well, unless, your goal is to provoke.

But you want the buzz you've worked so hard for to lead somewhere. Think of buzz as a bridge. That bridge leads to a destination, but is not the destination in and of itself.

In other words, that buzz is a means to an end. It's not the end.

What is that end? Well, it could be many things, including:

• Buying your brand
• Re-purchasing your brand
• Referring your brand to others who will actually buy your brand--and hopefully refer it to even more people who will actually buy your brand.
• Increasing the perceived value of your brand so that people will pay more for your brand or so that other companies might be interested in buying or investing in your brand.
• If you're a cause then you want for your buzz to increase sales (donations) or involvement (volunteer) with your brand, too.

So any of your buzz-oriented programs need to:

• Resonate with your target audience(s).
• Encourage your target audience(s) to act (see list above)
• Make a lasting impact on your target audience... not just for a day or a week of buzz that is quickly replaced by a day or a week of buzz by another brand with a goal of seeking buzz.

The way to remedy this is pretty darn simple. Ask your professional/agency/firm/consultant/expert to:

• Clarify not only the amount of buzz they are seeking to attain but the end results of it -- that way you're not sitting in a traffic jam of buzz on a bridge to nowhere.
• Pinpoint how this particular program targets your particular audience(s) of interest -- that way you're not selling steak to vegetarians or dentures to teenagers.
• Map out how the ROI will be evaluated -- and over what period of time. ROI is not always instant, these things take time.
• Identify how the buzz will be monitored. You see, many times you will need to optimize your program and or messaging -- thus you need to learn from the qualitative nature of the buzz, not just the quantitative number of impressions. Remember, you're looking for maximum impact, not maximum impressions.

Because in social media, talk ain't cheap. Just ask any company who is paying retainers to professionals promising them buzz. Now, go forth and buzz with a real purpose, and a strong business model supporting it.

(And yes, all of the above holds true whether you're in consumer, business or cause marketing.)

PS: In preparing for results, not just buzz, this post might also help you plan.