As marketers, data is our friend. We use it as a tool to better understand our target audiences, we leverage it to build strong business cases and we rely on it to help guide where our marketing spend should go, and why.
Many times we pore through the Web to find free research data. Other times we need to pay for reports. Or, when we can’t find relevant data that suits our needs, we retain researchers to conduct a survey.
But we can’t always afford to do so… especially at a time when our budgets are on the chopping block.
Wouldn’t it be grand if we could tap our collective intelligence and create our own marketing survey while someone else takes care of the expense and the legwork? A research project that that was truly “for marketers, by marketers”? Now we can.
Put on your thinking caps folks, because we’re going to develop 10 of
the questions that will be part of a comprehensive survey distributed
to over 50,000 marketers—ranging B2B and B2C marketing professionals in
large and medium-sized companies and agencies.
Please find out all, add a question or tell us which questions that others have submitted that you most favor... it's all right here.
And on the other? I’ve been balking over Ashton Kutcher’s popularity
contest that smacks of nothing but a super-sized ego. (No, I really don’t want
fries with that.)
But balk as I might--and plenty of opinions have I--Ashton Kutcher's "Twitter Challenge" not only brought him tons of publicity, it gave us all a front-row seats to many marketing lessons. Ironically, in this new dawn of new tools many of the lessons reflect age-old principles.
In my latest column over at The Daily Fix I'm talking pure, not plastic, and the tremendous benefits of creating platforms that level, not limit, playing fields... by breaking new ground through removing old barriers.
I use the incredible story of Susan Boyle as a prime (pure!) example of this model.
My message? Don't fake and force authenticity---you'll fall flat every time because, no matter your budget, you can't bottle the stuff--focus instead on creating platforms that allow innovation, new products, services, markets and, yes, stars, to be discovered (or uncovered).
Warning: this post contains spoilers from the movie “Bottle Shock” (released in 2008), and while the film is based upon historical events that occurred in 1976, please do not proceed further if you’re planning on seeing the movie--or don't like learning about history. And now that you've been warned, movie spoilers and marketing lessons shall now commence...
I recently watched the movie “Bottle Shock", a film based upon the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 commonly known as the “Judgment of Paris”, a blind wine-tasting competition between French and California whites and reds. Until this time, French wines had a corner on the market, with California wines considered posers or bargain-basement drinks commonly found in dorm rooms.
The event was organized by Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant with a shop in Paris. Spurrier was not an advocate of California wines, in fact at the time he only sold French wine. But he desperately needed promotion in order to increase profits.
Hungry for exposure, and to be taken seriously, the Californians were excited to be a part of the
promotion. And the French were open to the challenge because they
considered themselves unstoppable... after all, their wines were legendary. So one could say it was a duel between ambition and arrogance. To the surprise (shock!) of all, California wines rated best in BOTH the white and red categories.
Now, the Californians wouldn’t have won had they not put their all into an exemplary product. But the product wasn’t the problem. Perception was. And that’s a devil if ever there was one in the marketing craft. Because people love surprises, upsets and underdogs--but they don't much fancy their
perceptions being challenged. So the facts need to be irrefutable but they need to be presented creatively. And that's where marketing comes in.
The takeaway for marketers? In challenging leaders you’re competing against perception FAR more than product. So you need to identify strategies and tactics that will level the playing field--so as to cut through the thick layer of perception. In this instance the taste-testing competition was “blind” with all
wines only being judged on taste, color, odor. But in order to really break
through the insights need to be presented in a manner that excites and
amazes people so that they celebrate their surprise... in this case it was the French who were judging the wines.
The other takeaway? Once myths are shattered, your product can break through, but so too can others. As the competition didn’t just open the long locked-down playing field to the Americans--but the entire world. At the end of the movie the event organizer explains:
“We have shattered the myth of the ‘invincible French vine’ and, not
just in California… we’ve opened the eyes of the world. Mark my words,
we’ll be drinking wines from South America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, India,
China. This is not the end, this is just the beginning. Welcome to the
future.”
In 2006, to mark the 30-year anniversary of the event, they held another competition. The Californians won.
Again.
PS: For a show that is based upon leveling the playing field for talent--and a STUNNING perception-bending surprise, enjoy this segment.
Through more than 500 posts here (and posts at the other places where I write), I’ve tried to split my time between content targeted to those that are brand new to social media and those very active in this space. After all, I’m here to teach and to learn.
But even in addressing all these areas--and plenty more--I haven’t hit upon which tools, exactly, companies should implement in their social media programs, be they blogs, twitter, podcasts, Wikis, widgets, Webisodes or others. It’s a legitimate question; in fact it's one of the first and most frequent queries I receive from colleagues and clients.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not dodging the question--hey, give me an opportunity to talk shop and, guaranteed, I'll always bite. It's because the answer is always case-specific and custom for each company and every endeavor... even with like companies who have similar goals.
This "custom part" is where many companies get stumped, and understandably so. Between the turnkey technologies, platforms and plug-ins that make it easy to *poof!* create a social media presence and the cost of tools making social media wholly tenable for big and small businesses alike, companies seek an equally easy answer.
But social media programs are nowhere near ready-made. Nope, no cake
mixes requiring just an egg and water here. In this medium you're marketing from scratch. So while I can't always provide an answer, I can certainly identify what you need to assess when you're ready to get started (er, ready to get cooking):
Value: What unique benefit(s) can your social media program provide your audience? Will the value be information that makes your audience more savvy on a particular subject or solve a problem for them, provide a platform for them to connect with other people of like interests or lend one of many other points of value? The value that you'll be providing will help you map to the appropriate tools you'll use in your program (andthis post provides a bevy of value-centric questions and supporting).
Market: Which tools will your target audience be comfortable using? Keep in mind their learning curve, comfort level and available time. Your market may prefer a podcast format that they can listen to at their leisure (i.e. during their lunch hour or daily commute) or they may be seeking more interactivity with others, like through a forum or social network
Goals: Which program format will support your specific goals? If your objective is to increase donations or involvement for a charity effort your program might be to produce a set of shareable videos in the hopes that users spread them throughout their own content outlets and personal networks. Alternatively, if your goal is to build an audience where your brand is the sponsor, then your program might include more functionality, as through an idea exchange or using online channels to produce offline events that bring enthusiasts together.
Differentiation: Keep a keen eye on what programs your competitors are creating (or, more to the point, not creating) through their social media programs. Just as with all other programs and strategies, you're not looking to repeat or be an "also ran"... you're looking to shine. Also, a very helpful practice is to research programs that companies in altogether different industries are producing and how they're differentiating from their competitors, and their market's response.
Gaps: How can your social media program fill "gaps" in your research and development, communications or customer service efforts? Probably the biggest mistake that companies make with social media is that they instantly think "Ah, another medium to promote our goods!" when many would do far better to look for gaps that could be filled by opening communication loops or inviting feedback. For example, while some companies are using twitter as a sales tool to offer last-minute discounts on books, concerts or air flights, others are using twitter to address customer service questions and issues (and building more love for their brands through the process).
Content: What type of content will be interesting and helpful to those outside of your marketing department? The world doesn't need more vehicles for corporate announcements and press releases, it does need more engaging content and creativity. I'm not saying that a corporation has to turn itself into a unit of Disney films... but they do need to pinpoint how to produce content that is of value to its audience and identify the tone, personality and who--be it a team or straight from the CEO--will deliver the content and how they will follow-up to inquiries and comments in a timely manner.
Communities: I often say to clients "With social media, ask not what customers can do for you, ask what you can do for their communities." While companies tap social media in order to help their bottom lines, the way to succeed is by helping others, and that includes building and enhancing communities but letting the community take the lead.
Sustainability: A key consideration that is often overlooked is not how a company will build out a program but how it will sustain its growth. You see, with social media there's rarely an "expiration date." I say rarely because
sometimes, like with a new film or a limited-time promotion there’s a lot of focus for a finite period. But this is more the exception, with the rule being to provide a dynamic presence for audiences that goes the distance. Take my word for it, the blogosphere is littered with abandoned blogs and twitter accounts. So while the sky is the limit, your idea will require a commitment of time and resources--and many times, that commitment can be your program's competitive advantage since so many efforts fizzle out due to poor long-term planning.
Happy marketing from scratch (your grandmother would be so proud ;-).
Maybe the reason that so many social media efforts fail is because Web 2.0 technologies and tools are still very new, and lessons learned lead the way to best practices. Or perhaps it’s because in launching social media programs, the majority of marketers are focused on their products rather than their markets, and a shift in mindset is in order before shifting their marketing spend.
Let’s face it, in spending 99% of our time in our office buildings--instead of in the marketplace--makes it far too easy to be product-focused. It's exactly why social media provides a welcome solution, given how it providers marketers an easy way to connect with our markets right from our desks (or desktop computers).
But just as the goals of your social media programs should be focused on results not just "buzz", your programs must focus on your market not your product. And just as your products provide your market with unique value, so too must your social media programs.
Which begs the question, what type of value should your social media program provide, and how can you use these tools to execute against that directive? That answer depends and is case-specific with each company's audience, offerings and competencies. The value could be to make your markets' lives better, make an everyday task easier, provide a platform for them to find others with like interests, connect professionals within the same industries... or provide from several other points of value.
To help you reach your answer, here's a range of questions and supporting examples, which apply to BtoC and BtoB companies:
How can we provide a way to involve our market in the product development process? Dell's Ideastorm does this by enabling and encouraging users to submit product development and product improvement ideas—and then letting the community vote on the merit of the ideas which directs the development efforts of the organization.
How can we include(and promote) our market as an integral component of our existing offerings? CNN has done a tremendous job here—be it with involving the general public to ask and upload video questions as part of their YouTube presidential debates or within their regular broadcasts like reporter Rich Sanchez does through constantly scanning, querying and promoting the ideas and feedback of viewers through his twitter stream.
How can we help our market improve at a specific skill or subject matter? If you help your market improve at something, you are building relationships while building your reputation. Like many professionals, I follow that model at my own blog—by freely sharing my professional experiences, opinions, tips and techniques I help others while I benefit from professional relationships, business referrals, speaking opportunities and a network of dear colleagues and friends that help me improve at my craft.
How can we make our market part of our progress and, in turn, make our achievementstheir achievements, too? Charity Water is currently building its first “Twestival Well” to provide a community in Ethiopia with clean drinking water and will be posting daily videos of their progress so that the public at large and those who have donated get to participate in the amazing endeavor. It’s not only the value of feel-good but will also help to raise more funds as people will want to see more progress and share in its continued success.
