Brands: Stand up. Stand for something.

By Colin N. Clarke, July 21, 2010

flea_marketI encountered a billboard posted by a reputable national insurance company that said, “For all your insurance needs.” My immediate thought: “Really, that’s the best you can do?”

The statement, “For all your [insert term here] needs” is overused, ignored, and irrelevant yet multitudes of businesses continue to use it. To prove a point, out of curiosity I ran a Google search for the term, “For all your needs.” 1.15 BILLION results! So by using the term, you essentially are saying you are just like 1.15 BILLION other businesses out there… no big deal.

Think your business is unique enough to get away with it? Think again. You can search for pretty much ANYTHING with the, “For all your needs” statement and find millions of results and other businesses just like yours using it to generalize their services… and scoring no points with customers along the way.

How about, For all your fertilizer needs (10.4 million results). Or, For all your filtration needs (7.8 million). Or Logistics (19.8 million), or Catering (10.5 million), or Zoology (7.5 million), or Votive candles (What are votive candles anyway? Seriously, 1.3 million results for all your votive candle needs!).

I once worked with an esteemed copywriter who would bristle whenever he saw or heard the term, “For all your needs.” He would flat out refuse to include it in anything he wrote. He would say, “How do they know what I need? It’s impossible for them to have everything I need!” He had a book where he kept examples of ads that used the term and as you would turn page-after-page the statement would become more and more irrelevant. A wasted opportunity to share a meaningful message with a customer.

Every business is built on some point of differentiation, be it price or quality, service or product line, convenience or style. Every brand stands for something, so let your communications be about your differentiation. In most cases you have likely invested significant time and money to cultivate a point of differentiation for your business, so let it show. Communicate it clearly in everything you do. In your service, your marketing, your direct communications and your advertising.

Make your message meaningful and memorable. Your customers will appreciate knowing what makes you unique.

Colin is a senior strategist for The Flint Group. Follow him on Twitter @colinnclarke or on Facebook at Facebook.com/cnclarke.

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Nerd Arsenal: 6 Recommended Social Media & Advertising Blogs

By Libby Issendorf, June 15, 2010

As social media strategist for Flint Group, I’m often asked how I can keep up with the rapid pace of social media. By myself, I certainly can’t. So besides relying on Josh, Andy, Jen, and the rest of the Flint team to help me stay on top of the trends, I rely on my Google Reader full of social media blogs. Let’s take a peek inside my nerd arsenal:

Convince and Convert • Social media marketing
These days you can’t throw a rock at the Internet without hitting a blog from a social media “expert.” But among the so-called experts, Jay Baer stands out from the crowd (and I’m not just saying that because Flint Group works with him). On Convince & Convert, Jay lives up to his promise of being a “hype-free” social media consultant with brilliant insight into social media strategy. Not to mention, he’s a really nice guy.

Nielsen Wire • TV and online statistics and reports
I started my advertising career in the media department, so I have a deep respect for numbers and metrics. Nielsen Wire regularly publishes useful statistics, from the top TV shows to the leading websites.

Mashable Social Media • Social media news and marketing
As the most all-encompassing social media guide online, Mashable is not where I’d send beginners to get an overview of social media. However, it’s an excellent place to search for specific information, and they have written a wealth of case studies, guides, and how-tos. Looking for a conference or social media event in your area? Check the weekly Mashable Social Media Events Guide.

Advergirl • Advertising and branding
Leigh Householder (better known as Advergirl) doesn’t post often, but when she does, it’s worth reading. She pumps her blog full of thought and insight, especially the series she has written on Getting Interactive, her Social Manifesto, and Advice for Newbies. Leigh contributes to What’s Your Digital iQ, which specializes in digital healthcare marketing. She’s also an incredibly kind person.

Lies, damned lies, and statistics • Statistics and commentary on all things digital
Dirk Singer of Rabbit keeps this blog full of the most recent social media news and statistics, along with commentary about why they matter. I especially appreciate the mobile/smartphone data he posts, and the commentary on news articles such as Time’s inclusion of Foursquare in their “worst inventions” issue.

Smart Brief on Social Media • Social media headlines in daily e-newsletter form
I guess this might be cheating, since it’s not actually a blog. SmartBriefs deliver the headlines daily to your inbox. A few seconds of headline skimming alerts me to trends and new campaigns from major players.

I also regularly read The Social Path, Social Media Explorer, Dim Bulb, the New York Times Media & Advertising, AdAge, AdFreak, and over 100 others. What are your blog must-reads? Please post in the comments.

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It’s that time of year when the word audit can make you cringe. Is a communications audit just as painful?

By Chris Hagen, March 2, 2010

I’ve been there, about to present our communication audit findings to the client team and truly understanding how an IRS auditor must feel. But unlike the dreaded IRS audit, a communications audit is better compared to a complete physical at a doctor’s office where routine health indicators are reviewed and tested to determine “how you’re doing” or where improvement is needed. That may make you cringe as well. But the opportunity to take the time to examine how well you are communicating with key audiences is an investment in your organization’s future, and just like an annual physical, it is a smart investment.

What is a communications audit?
A communications audit is a method of research, where we focus on the process of communications. We look at the exchange of information between you and your audience (think internal or external, customers or members, potential customers, those who influence your audience, volunteers, employees and more) and examine how well you are achieving your communications goals in reaching each critical audience. We define the audit scope based on the audit objectives; some have included interviews with key audiences or review of media coverage, others focus solely on advertising and communications materials.

The hardest part is getting started
Actually, the most painful part of the audit is the process of pulling together representative samples and lists of all audience touch points, both internal and external. Once you strip away the different silos, department ownership or rationalization that can surround communication and advertising, and review all your communication collectively, you’ll discover consistency or inconsistency, strengths and weaknesses, gaps and opportunities.

This process also helps you analyze how effectively you’re telling “your story” and most importantly, can serve as both a benchmark and a roadmap for your future. Just yesterday, I read a client’s 2010 communication plan that was developed from our 2009 audit findings.

What about your company or organization? Do you cringe at the thought, or are you ready for a communications audit?

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Don’t Let Your Marketing Fall Down… in the Last Four Feet

By Colin N. Clarke, February 22, 2010

Marketing communications, in simplest terms, helps put a customer or prospect in the right frame of mind to buy. It can educate, inform, advise, recommend, encourage, scare and influence a prospect, but it cannot make them buy. At some point someone or something (e-commerce for example) has to close the sale. A recent presentation by Datacore Marketing describes this as “The Last Four Feet.”

The Last Four Feet represents the final steps that a customer takes as they approach the sales counter (or online checkout). Without question this is the most important part of the process. Can you close the sale?avoidance300

Marketers place great emphasis on campaigns to the end-user or customer. Significant, sometimes huge budgets are invested to help put the target audience in the right frame of mind to buy. But too often, after marketing communications has done its job with the customer, the process falls down at the sales counter.

Picture a customer who receives direct communications on your product, investigates online, reads the reviews, talks to their friends and decides “I want to buy.” They enter the “store” to purchase, approach the checkout, and the salesperson (or process) says, “Have you seen the features on alternative product #2 over here?” At that point, in the last four feet, all of your marketing communications efforts are shot down by one missed communication.

So how do you avoid losing your customer at the sales counter? Here are four sure-fire steps that will help with “the last four feet.”

1)      Educate your sales channel first – before any external customer communications begin. Be sure products and processes are easily understood (this applies to e-commerce too).

2)      Let the channel in on the process early, ask for feedback and implement suggestions that will strengthen the relationship with the channel. If using e-commerce, be sure to test the checkout process to make sure it is intuitive and without distraction.

3)       Involve the channel in the product or campaign  roll out. Give the channel an active stake in the process that encourages their engagement. A kickoff event, an incentive, an interesting (but not burdensome) program.

4)      Reinforce the sales process within your marketing communications. Suggest to the customer in your messaging the easiest route to purchase while reinforcing the same “easy route” to the channel audience.

Marketing communications can put the customer in the right frame of mind, but it can’t ring the till by itself. Include a solid channel strategy to make sure your marketing investment isn’t lost at the sales counter.

Have you ever dropped out of a sale at the counter? If so, what could the marketer have done differently?

Colin is a senior strategist for AadlandFlint and the Flint Group. Follow him on Twitter @colinnclarke or on Facebook at Facebook.com/cnclarke.

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3 Email Marketing Nuggets Worth Nibbling On

By Eric Piela, February 16, 2010

Ok.  (Deep breath).  I have a confession to make.  I am a bonafide email nerd. Yep, there it is, I said it. I live it, I breathe it, I put ez-cheese on it and eat it.  Now I wouldn’t have admitted that a few weeks ago…until I made a discovery.  I’m not alone.  I had the pleasure of attending the Direct Marketing Association sponsored Email Evolution Conference earlier this month in Miami, FL.  So while the Indianapolis Colts were poolside next door, Jordan Sparks was giving a concert in an adjoining conference room, and Lou Ferrigno was having drinks at the lobby bar (I’m not making this up folks) – hundreds of fellow email practitioners gathered behind closed doors to discuss the latest eMarketing trends and best practices.  Oh yeah, email nerds unite!

Listening and learning from the brightest minds in email innovation, I took away a few simple gold nuggets of knowledge I’d like to bestow upon my fellow email enthusiasts out there…

  1. Don’t forget the welcome mat. Growing your email list can be difficult and sometimes expensive.  My advice, once you get that email address – treat it like your mom on Mother’s Day.  The first thing many email marketers do is forget to send an immediate welcome email after a prospect/customer signs up for their email distribution list.  A big no-no. Why is this so imperative?  Well, like the saying goes, first impressions are everything, besides that here are a few reasons why welcome emails are imperative:
    1. Immediately reminds the subscriber they signed up for your emails (hey, I forget where I put my keys down two minutes earlier).  By gently jogging their memory it also helps reinforce their decision to begin a relationship with you and lets them know that you will be attentive to their needs.
    2. Allows the subscriber to put your email send from address in their safe sender list.  This way your email will always reach their inbox and images will automatically be displayed in their email browser. If you aren’t asking your subscribers to put you on the white list, start asking now.
    3. Provides you the opportunity to set expectations with your customer.  Give them a taste of the content, promotions, or value-add your emails will be bringing to their inbox.  Start training your subscriber on what you’d like them to do in your emails, whether it’s as simple as gleaning industry knowledge or directing them to your website to purchase a new widget.
  2. Four seconds to save the world. That’s it, four seconds is all you get.  That is how long the average email reader scans (I didn’t say reads, scans) an email to see if it is worth their time.  It shouldn’t surprise you – you are guilty of doing it yourself.  Heck, sometimes I don’t make it past the send from name and subject line.  As email practitioners this should give us some understanding of just what an integral part email design and call-to-action play in your email.  When they glance at your email they should know exactly what the purpose of the email is, what the offer and call-to-action is, and what their next step should be.  You accomplish this by first and foremost having these items above the fold (before you scroll down to see the rest of the email) as well as having them stand out using both images and text (in the event images are disabled when they preview).  Remember, your readers are busy just like you – don’t make them regret signing up for your emails.  Give all your emails the four-second-glance test. Tick tock tick tock.
  3. Email isn’t near extinction. Nowadays everyone seems to be enamored with the new shiny object called social media.  And well, rightfully so.  Its public adoption is unparalleled and has countless ramifications for marketers regarding their brand participation and perception.  However, email and social media need each other.  Email remains the foundation for social network verification and notification.  Furthermore, email ROI continues to be the strongest of any direct marketing medium with numbers that continue to increase each year.  Email isn’t going anywhere and in fact it’s getting sexier. Technology advancements now allow email content to be dynamic based on behavior and soon, still in beta testing, these advancements will allow email to be interactive with content that changes and moves (much like a website or rich media banner ad).

The best game plan is to embrace and integrate the three newer digital mediums - call it the “Triangle Offense” – of email, social media, and mobile. You will see all three channels of marketing become stronger when used together.

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Building Strong Brands

By Kimberly* Wold Janke, December 29, 2009

What are the 2009 top brands? A quick search on the web will give you numerous lists to choose from as defined by various criteria. All of us know that strong brands directly result in business value. But what do we mean when someone says a company has a “strong brand”?

It’s easiest to start with what a brand is not. It is not a logo. It is not a company name. It is not a product. A brand is the sum total of all the interactions, good and bad, an audience has with a company or product. It is the gut feeling a person has about the company or product; the place the company or product holds in the person’s mind and heart.

Your brand is not what you say it is, but rather what your audiences say it is.

So, if the brand is not what you say it is, how do you build a strong brand? Branding is creating an emotional bond with your target audiences. To do this, you need to know your unique distinctions and how you bridge the gap of what your target audiences need or want and what you uniquely offer. Once you develop a solid, relevant brand promise, you then need to deliver it consistently. One of the core building blocks of brand delivery is your employees.

Your employees are your brand’s biggest ambassadors and are an extremely important internal audience in brand building. Branding is experiential and is everyone in the organization’s responsibility. Branding starts from within and begins with commitment. In the brand development process, it is vital for communications to work with human resources to develop strategies, processes and tactics that engage employees and create a shared understanding of the brand. This activity should identify brand behavior for employees and show them how to “live the brand”.

So, how do you live your brand promise?

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A lesson from my 7-year-old

By Alex Heiser, December 14, 2009

No can mean yes. Just not right now.

A year ago, my son asked if he could get a Nintendo DS for Christmas. I quickly responded, “No. We’re not getting one of those.”

He proceeded to tell me how cool they are, that everyone has one and they would be SO much fun.

Again, I said no. “You spend enough time on the computer.”

Then, he asked his mother. She said, “Talk to your father.”

Over the next two weeks, he asked anywhere from one to twenty times a day. I was determined not to give in. So was he. Even after last year’s disappointment of not so much as a game card in his stocking, he brushed himself off and tried again.

He said, “Well, maybe next year. My birthday is in August. Can I get one then?”

This time, I said, “We’ll see.”

Music to his ears. He recognized that I gave in a little. The door was back open.

photo by {just jennifer} on Flickr

photo by {just jennifer} on Flickr

Over the next twelve months, he cut out pictures of a Nintendo DS, circled them in advertisements and dragged me to the electronics section of retail stores. He even got me to play with one while visiting his cousins. All the while gently asking, “Do you think we can just get one now?”

Last month he saw me doing a Sudoku puzzle in the paper. He took the opportunity to let me know that I, too, could have fun with a Nintendo DS, since you can buy a game card that has Sudoku and many other fun brain teasers. When I tilted my head and pondered momentarily, he knew he had me.

Even though I said no, he knew that this time it was a yes.

The power of persistence.
So, what does this all mean, besides that I have a determined seven-year-old?

It brings me to the value of nurturing, and asking for the sale.

According to the National Sales Executive Association, you might have to make ten to twelve contacts or calls before a sale.

Do you throw in the towel too soon?
50% give up after just one contact or sales call.

  • After two contacts, 65% give up
  • After three, 74% give up
  • After four – 89% give up

What happens if you don’t give up?

  • At five contacts your prospect will be able to recall you. You’re starting to become a factor.
  • At six contacts, your prospect is getting to know you.
  • At seven, you’re finally earning top awareness.
  • At eight, odds are that you’re the only one to have made this many contacts or calls.
  • At nine, you have likely given the prospect some information that’s relevant to his or her situation, and you’re starting to earn trust.
  • At ten contacts… you’ve hopefully made the sale. Or at least you’re well on the way. Don’t give up just yet.

You don’t have to beg.
In today’s marketing world, you can use a multitude of tactics to get in front of prospects and stay in touch. Along the way, you can learn more about them and deliver a relevant sales pitch, and even ask them for the sale. How you go about it will certainly vary by your product or service, your market as well as your objectives and goals. Regardless of your plan, see it through. Don’t expect those sales to magically appear after just one or two contacts.

Remember. The next time a prospect says no, just put yourself in the mind of a 7-year-old.

No can mean yes… eventually.

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Customer profiling: finding your next top model

By Alex Heiser, December 2, 2009

Every business would like to find more customers. How about more customers just like your most profitable existing customer?

The good news is that these customers are right under your nose. Thanks to a process called performance modeling, you can find them.

There are three basic ways that performance modeling can be done:

Do performance modeling yourself.
This can be very time consuming but you will be justly rewarded with the wealth of information you learn in the process.

Bring an expert in to do performance modeling for you.
If you look to a consultant, make sure you give them clear direction and access to every bit of customer data you have.

Send your customer data somewhere else.
Collect your data and send it to a firm that specializes in analyzing customer data. Companies that perform customer data analysis can create a customer profile for you.

How performance modeling works.
Regardless of which method you choose, it all starts with your data, and the process is pretty much the same.

  1. Start collecting every bit of data you have about your current customers: sales history, demographics, psychographics, industry and any other bit of information you can tag your customer with. Save it in some kind of CRM system, whether it’s a sophisticated software solution or a simple spreadsheet.
  2. Determine who is your best customer. How you define this customer depends on your business objectives. Potential criteria to rank customers includes lifetime value, tenure with company, products purchased, profit generated and more.
  3. Comb through your data; categorize it, group it and analyze it. Look for trends and patterns that map towards your best customer.
  4. Finally, sort and pull out the data that is tied to your best customer. Look for the customers who meet your most important criteria. You have now created “Your Next Top Model.”

Here’s an example. After analyzing top-performing customers, we’ve discovered that the highest percentile consists of males between 25 and 35 years old. They’re renters who live in cities with more than 50,000 people. They also have pets.

Sample Customer Profile from Performance Modeling

Sample Customer Profile from Performance Modeling

Customer performance modeling can help you determine which demographic and lifestyle variables are important to your business. It will identify key demographic attributes of those customers most likely to buy your products or use your services. Your model will show which variables differentiate your customer base – so you can target your efforts on people who are most like your Top Model.

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The Seven Deadly Sins of Email Marketing

By Eric Piela, November 17, 2009

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Break out the birthday cake, party hats and silly string. Email marketing turns 13 this year. Can you believe it? Gasp, a teenager! While many of us wince at our teen years, they were undoubtedly years of great change, influence, and discovery. Likewise, email adolescence is at a similar maturation crossroad. Improved technology, the introduction of social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and the sophistication of spam filters can make email marketing a daunting gauntlet to navigate.

However, email marketing continues to be an extremely effective marketing medium, producing one of the highest returns on marketing investment (ROMI). Jupiter research shows that in 2008 over 40% of consumers were influenced by email marketing in both offline and online purchases. One of the biggest mistakes marketers can make is to get wrapped up in trends of today and forget the basics of email marketing. To help keep you grounded I’ve put together a list of seven deadly sins to remember when embarking into email marketing.

  1. SPAM I am. The first thing to remember is the FTC regulations that govern email marketing – CAN SPAM. Foremost, be a law-abiding citizen and embrace ethical email marketing. Here are the key obligations you need to know:
    1. Do not hide your identity (The “from” line must appropriately represent you)
    2. You must include the physical address of your business
    3. No deceptive subject lines
    4. You must give your recipient the opportunity to opt-out (unsubscribe) from your emails. If they do opt-out, you must comply within 10 days.
  2. Signed. Sealed. Delivered? The bad news is that inbox providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail are private networks and are not required to deliver your mail. The good news, they want your mail to be delivered and are protecting all of us from malicious and unsolicited email. All of these providers use automated anti-spam techniques to separate good vs. bad mail (which end up undelivered or in a junk folder). To help ensure your email gets delivered, use an email service provider to send out your email, as opposed to your Outlook or personal email account. Likewise, make sure your email list is up-to-date and remove any emails that are old and may bounce (undeliverable) – those automated spam filters watch for bounces and spam button complaints. Worst case scenario, your email IP address gets black-listed. And yes, it’s as bad as it sounds.
  3. Design is “just fine”. So you abide by CAN SPAM and actually get into your customers inbox – now the big question, will they read it? Take careful consideration when designing your email. Formatting, HTML vs. Text, and Image usage all affect the “curb appeal” of your email. Studies show that html emails are read more often, however keep in mind that 30% of readers don’t receive html emails (just text) and the 70% that do are using Outlook, Hotmail, Yahoo, and/or Gmail accounts. By default these accounts automatically block html and images (unless you manually choose to display them). Send test emails to a variety of inbox providers to see how each will visually render and be sure to put yourself in the reader’s shoes.
  4. Sloppy copy. Content is key when it comes to email. Give your reader something worth reading. It’s common for marketers to toss too much in an email. Testing has proved that picking a single theme and prioritizing increases open and click-through rates (more about these rates in #5). Keep your copy punchy and active and avoid flowery language. People don’t read email, they skim email. Therefore, use lots of bullets and verbs. With that said, spam filters look for too many exclamation marks, ALL CAPS, and words like “guaranteed”, “free”, and “savings.” It’s ok to use them, but in moderation. (Check out this list of other phrases and words to avoid.)
  5. Measuring the wrong “e-ngredients”. There are six common measurements you should be aware of:
    1. Bounce Rates: Ratio of email delivered vs. not delivered (bounced).
    2. Unsubscribe Rate: Number of recipients that opt out of your email list.
    3. Churn Rate: The rate at which your email addresses become invalid.
    4. Open Rate: A measure of who is “opening” or viewing your email.
    5. Click-through Rate: A measure of who is clicking on links within your email.
    6. Conversion Rate: Number of readers who are filling out web forms via your email.

    While these are all important measurements, the real question should be how are you gauging success for your email marketing program? I most commonly hear of clients using open rate to measure the strength of their email campaign. However, I strongly suggest you refrain from that practice. Open rates are difficult to track and often inaccurate due to inbox preview panes, mobile devices, and non-html email.

    What is the goal of your email? Is there a call-to-action? Measure success by what you want your reader to do or glean from your email.

  6. Permission omission. While it’s not against the law in the United States to email someone who hasn’t opted-in for your email, it’s most certainly a principle that every marketer should adhere to. Permission based email believes that the only people you should be emailing are those who have asked you to. We’ve all gotten email we haven’t signed up for. It’s annoying and many of us hit the spam/junk button in hopes the internet police will protect and serve us a little better. Give your prospect or client the ability to enroll and opt-in to your corporate emails. You can grow your list by having an enrollment form on your website or a link on your email signature. Drive them to register online via print and direct mail or ask for their permission at tradeshows or a point of sale. Permission based marketing keeps bounce and unsubscribe rates low and open and click-through rates high.
  7. Spray and pray. Let’s face it, consumers (by that I mean everyone, including ourselves) are becoming increasingly high-maintenance. We want information now and only if it is relevant to us. As marketers, we need to respect that philosophy and understand that the “spray and pray” or “batch and blast” method (speaking to all of our prospects and customers the same way) is no longer good enough in our consumer’s eyes. Attention spans are diminishing and if you aren’t speaking to your reader on a personal level, it’s on to the next email. Segment your email list (via demographics, consumer interest, purchase history, etc.) and communicate content relevant to them because content is still king.

What other things do email marketers do to annoy you? Do you commit any of these sins with your own email program?

Image courtesy of morberg.

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Channel Marketing: Make it Easy. Make it Measurable. Make it Cheap.

By Jodi Duncan, October 2, 2009

One of the biggest challenges we consistently hear is “How can we get our dealers to do a better job marketing our product line?” Here’s the deal…you need to 1) make it easy for them; 2) make it measurable and tied into sales; 3) make it cost-effective.

There is great benefit for a corporation or home office to offer their dealer channel sales tools that really extend the corporate brand as well as promote the dealer in a way that drives sales.  What often works best is having corporate materials handle the overall “brand cover” and general promotion of the brand – what it is, why it’s better. Dealer materials would then focus on why you want it and where to go to get it.  But the key is to have it all work in synergy – so that the dealer materials support the brand and vice versa. A very smart use of your marketing dollars!

1)     Make it easy for dealers.

One of the most frequent questions we get from clients is, “how do I get my dealers to participate?” Turn-key programs work best. Make it easy for your dealers to sign-up for your channel marketing program. Have some continuity to your program so a dealer can sign-up and not have to think about it for a while. Make sure the content is relevant and easy to understand for the prospect and the dealer.

2)     Make it measurable and tied into sales.

Dealers care about how their advertising and marketing efforts impact sales. Set benchmarks and try to provide measurable results for all channel marketing activities. This helps dealers see the ROI on their investment and better determine what they need to do next.

3)     Make it cost-effective.

Most dealers want to know EXACTLY how much something will cost them. Keep pricing structures simple to understand and without a lot of variables. It is imperative that there are no hidden costs or surprises when the bill comes. Keep your channel marketing program simple so dealers know WHAT they are ordering, HOW much it will cost them and WHERE and WHEN it will show up.

It’s a corporation’s benefit to provide content and artwork for dealers through their channel marketing program that effectively promotes and positions the brand appropriately. Providing quality materials to dealers is a great way to extend corporate messages and get usable sales materials into your dealers’ hands.

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