Sometimes I think marketers have it all wrong…

Judy DeBiase — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:32:13 +0000

You are sitting down watching the season finale to your most favorite television program when suddenly… Whamo! Out of the blue, comes a giant, annoying disruption: the dreaded commercial. Boring and generally quite irritating, commercials regularly invade our homes interrupting our chosen past-time. I take issue with one critical point: we are doing something fun (watching TV), that is suddenly stopped by something that is decidedly NOT fun (a dry commercial selling an item that we really don’t need). So why not make commercials intriguing? Think “dramamerical”: a commercial (or series of commercials) that revolves around a plot, complete with catchy narrative and compelling main characters that fight for good and/or evil. I think you get my drift.

Suddenly, people would “plug in” to the commercials themselves. “What is going to happen next? Will Stan actually help his mother fight her osteoporosis? Will she stay active until her 80’s? Stay tuned to find out!” Forget the drama of the program… where is next commercial?!?!

In truth, GEICO really had something going with their CAVEMAN concept. These commercials had all the essential elements of a great storyline: sympathetic characters, the token antagonist (in this case, GEICO itself), and a plot (cavemen wanting to be accepted by society). Throw in a good soundtrack and there you have it… Start selling the t-shirts. I mean, the cavemen got their own sitcom– and if that does not say something, I am not sure what does. (Okay, the series ultimately failed because of poor writing and mildly poor acting. But, come on, how many commercials actually build up a fan base large enough to warrant evolution into sitcom-land?) My point is, if you, Mr. Advertiser, want your expensive commercials to capture the attention of your audience: MAKE YOUR COMMERCIALS ENTERTAINING.

Comments? Feedback? I would like to hear from you.

Overnight success: ripe for the taking (from any remote corner of the globe).

Sonja Bellem — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:04:35 +0000

By most accounts, success is all about “who you know.” And, yes, we’ve all been told that opportunity’s about being in the “right” place at the “right” time.

Well, Susan Boyle (or more correctly, social media) has blown the doors off these clichés… and, by my watch, has done so in just under six minutes. (In case you’ve missed her performance on Britain’s Got Talent last month, we are talking about a 47-year-old unemployed charity worker who lives with a cat named Pebbles in a remote village in Scotland.) Her one performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables has garnered Boyle a level of notoriety that took Elvis (no disrespect intended) nearly one decade to generate.
Her video on YouTube has been viewed tens of millions of times all around the world. In the span of little over 30 days, she has been on television shows, written about in newspapers, talked about around the globe and is currently in negotiation with SONY BMG over a recording contract. Yes indeed, Elvis would be dazzled.

So what is it? What is that magic overnight star quality that shines so brightly upon her head? People argue that her success stems from her frumpy appearance and devil-may-care attitude. I, on the other hand, would rather consider her looks and earthy demeanor to be part and parcel of her specialized “brand.” The super-stardom that came her way did so not because of luck, skill or even from years of pavement-pounding hardwork.

To be sure, Boyle has always had talent. She processes now very much the same voice that has sung karaoke in the Happy Valley Hotel tucked away in Blackburn, Scotland, each and every week. People have heard her sing before, and she was even featured on a charity album in 1999. How did she get so famous, so fast and with so little (and I say this with effection) effort?

Quite honestly, the difference between Boyle and Elvis is not the music, the jumpsuit or even classic good looks. The difference is the era. Today’s very fast, inexpensive distribution of media (through no great effort of her own) is Boyle’s most powerful advantage.

Assuming this is true—and not to deduct anything from Boyle’s charming performance or skill—then anyone, from virtually anywhere in the world, has a chance to succeed with a unique product, skill or service –so long as marketing and social media are part of the start-up mix. In fact, Boyle also proves that expensive, fancy packaging is quite optional for success. It just goes to show you, “who you know” is not as important as where you go. So if you are looking for any measure of success, get yourself (your company, your product, your name, your skill) on the Internet.

Thoughts? Comments? I’d like to hear from you. To see Boyle’s performance, click on the below link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk

Maybe it’s a matter of “what”…not when

Sonja Bellem — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:17:55 +0000

Speaking with several companies today concerning today’s economic plight, it occurred to me that perhaps it is pointless to ask “when” things will turn around. A better question may be “what” should be done, sold or marketed while we are hip-deep in the recessionary mire.
For example: take “optimization.” Yeah, sure, it’s a simple buzz word used frequently when times are good. Yet, the word’s jam-packed full of new meaning when it comes to cutting costs in a day when everyone needs to optimize in order to “survive.” Don’t just sell what you make, sell things that address today’s problems. Fix people’s pain. So, for example, manufacturers could market newly updated software or automation systems that streamline process flow and utilize material even better. Perhaps telecommunication companies can offer inexpensive solutions that automate call flow and provide automated customer service (a benefit for companies forced to downsize). Home improvement companies can offer people economic solutions that cut energy costs, such as window tinting, window sealants and environmentally-friendly ways to heat and cool homes. Sure, this may to some extent require a reinvention of your corporate model or an examination of current product offerings. But addressing today’s economic situation may turn out to be more profitable that you had ever expected. At the very least, your company will seem in touch with your customers and sympathetic to their needs. And, in terms of brand loyalty, that’s worth a heck of a lot.
Grandma said it best: “it’s easier to sell lemonade in July than it is to sell snow cones in December.” What are your thoughts?

In a buyer’s market, it’s survival of the fittest brand.

Sonja Bellem — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:57:32 +0000

Dietary restrictions aside, are you one of those who views branding as fluffy, cream-filled jargon? Something that’s nice but rather non-essential? (Like the bowl of double chocolate ice-cream I unabashedly devoured late last night.)

Well, you may want to change your perception of what’s healthy. It’s fast becoming a world of brand better or bust.

With the Internet now juggernaut of commercialism and epicenter of our economic universe, products are increasingly “bought” not sold. This means that customers are actively searching through a sea of options for what they want more so than ever before. According to Philip Kotler, in B2B Brand Management, “The Internet brings the full array of choices to every purchaser or decision maker anywhere with just one mouse click. Without trusted brands as touchstones, buyers would be overwhelmed by an overload of information no matter what they were looking for.” There’s not a charismatic sales force in the world that can compete with the strength of a plugged-in, savvy consumer.

The only way to measurably succeed in this environment is to bring your brand to the forefront of your customer’s consciousness. It makes sense if you think about it. When shopping for a car, do you Google “automobile” or “Toyota?” When looking for a do-it-all communication device, do you think PDA or Blackberry?

So next time, when ordering from the marketing menu… be open-minded. Branding may fatten up your bottom-line.

Saving the Earth… One Purchase at a Time

Sonja Bellem — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:47:36 +0000

Can there be a green twist to opening your wallet? Can spending green actually make you feel….well, a bit “greener?”

According to a recently published Forrester study called “Making The Case For Environmentally And Socially Responsible Consumer Products,” buying green is becoming more important even as the economy slows. A survey on purchasing habits was conducted on over 5,400 US adults. Over 65% said they were “concerned about the environment and global warming.”

Now more than ever, companies are promoting green alternatives. Tropicana, in partnership with Cool Earth, is starting a 12- month promotion that enables consumers to preserve 100 square feet of rainforest for every carton of juice they purchase. Apple computer launched a green campaign touting the “highly recyclable” MacBook as the “greenest Macbook ever.” Amazon launched Amazon Green, a conglomeration of environmentally-friendly products to help consumers lead a greener life.

Is environmental marketing here to stay, and (despite the obvious contradiction in terms) can we consume our way to a greener planet? Post your thoughts.

A better way to ride the waves of recession: inspiration

Sonja Bellem — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:44:27 +0000

Sure, companies are cutting costs to stay afloat. Yet this approach may be analogous to throwing the oars out of the rowboat. Ask yourself, what happens once you’ve made all your cuts and then the market does a 180˚? How will you outpace your competition? What new ideas can you offer your customers?

For those few gutsy companies who invest in themselves in a down economy, success may very well be ripe for the picking when the economy turns around.

According to Daniel Roth in WIRED Magazine, December 2008, US companies should be doing just that. He writes, “…for the bravest inventors and entrepreneurs, conditions are ideal to pounce on a business opportunity.” It’s “survival of the fittest” and the “law of supply and demand” uniting to present the ideal opportunity for growth and success.
Can recession be the mother of invention?

What are your thoughts?

When technology moves in a new direction…

Sonja Bellem — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:40:55 +0000

Okay, okay. So we know that the Earth is not flat. So why then should the Internet, computers and the digital world within them be one dimensional?

Perhaps following this line of thinking, MIT grad student David Merrill developed a new computer interface that enables people to work with computers and interactive media much in the same way as a child would with building blocks: Siftables. These very cool, independent, palm-sized computer screens can be held, tilted, and manipulated and joined together to create anything from music, interactive stories with self-creative narratives to math solutions and a good ol’ fashioned game of scrabble. Genius. Yet it creates the question of how this will change the Internet. For example, will the internet become tangibly interactive? And what great things are in store for online marketing? Stay tuned.

Personalized URL’s (PURLS): The Wave of The Future for Direct Marketing

Sonja Bellem — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:20:35 +0000

A jewel of a new marketing strategy has arrived! PURLS, or personalized URL’s, elevates the impact of direct mail to a new level. What makes this even more enticing, according to a recent DMA study, more than 90% of interested direct mail recipients prefer to respond online. Are you there for them?

The combination of digital printing (or, in some cases, email) with a personalized URL maximizes the power of the Internet’s interactive capabilities. The PURL engages your prospects and customers to respond with their very own landing page. For example, if I were a yoga enthusiast, my mail piece would include: www.SonjaBellem.yoga.com. I, in turn, feel more compelled to visit a website that features both my name and a key personal interest. What’s in it for me? Many find that a PURL becomes a call to action in and of itself! The person visits the highly targeted and customized VIP landing page, and they find information they expect based upon the direct mail piece. The prospects remain engaged and remain engaged longer.

What’s the best part? The activity of each prospect is tracked and recorded and leads are automatically routed to your sales team for immediate follow up. Direct mail, the Internet and your sales team work together as a cohesive tour de force! With PURL’s you can improve your direct mail response rates, provide relevant content to prospects, engage viewers in a meaningful (and traceable) dialogue, and better convert viewer’s preferences into revenue.

Internet Marketing… In a Few Easy Steps.

Sonja Bellem — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:33:30 +0000

The benefits to marketing on the Internet are many. They include a lower cost per lead than many forms of traditional advertising and the ability to better track and monitor marketing results (ROI). For these and many other reasons, Internet advertising has outstripped traditional advertising in growth—nearly doubling in the last four years. The interactive nature of Internet marketing, enabling viewers to respond and become easily engaged, gives this media a further unique advantage. It no longer simply means website development, banners and email broadcasts, Internet marketing is now an essential, if not a critical, element in any well-rounded campaign or strategy.

Key aspects to marketing on the Internet include, but are not limited to: Analytics, Internet surveys, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Keyword Buying, Vertical Portals/ Directories, E-mail marketing campaigns, Customized Marketing Campaigns (PURL), Keyword Targeted Domains and Social Networking. However, in order for companies to best utilize the advantages of this ever-evolving tool, users must be sure to use cutting-edge monitoring methods so as to keep up to date with the algorithmic changes of search engines and spiders. Monthly tracking of stats on websites and all Internet marketing efforts is essential.

How to Market with a Tight Budget.

Sonja Bellem — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:04:54 +0000

Fact 101: marketing and advertising need not be expensive.

One cannot visualize advertising merely in the conventional sense… as in buying potentially expensive radio and TV spots, or large ads in pricey publications. That’s because some of today’s most effective strategies are incredibly dollar-efficient and highly targeted. The point is to keenly optimize your marketing budget. For example, there is an evolution taking place in the world of direct marketing with many never-before-seen techniques for customization. The Internet holds an oasis of marketing possibilities… so long as you can get through the vast, mirage-filled desert to get there. For those with finely-tuned negotiating tools, media itself can even offer many opportunities that target your audience with pin-point accuracy.

Successful advertising requires companies to be well-informed in a variety of marketing mediums and to have the bandwidth necessary to keep their program in-line 24/7. Without a doubt, it is a full-time job. Results-oriented marketing never sleeps or takes a coffee break.