I don't buy things from 'da man!' A commercial, billboard, bumper sticker, banner ad, paid or sponsored link has never recommended a darn thing that I have bought.
I do not trust marketing...I trust my friends! Friends tell the truth...and mass marketing is often over-hyped lies. If you do not believe me, as any marketing exec who finds herself at a company with poor product development...and lasts about fourteen [14] months in the job. As my baseball coach used to say, "you can not polish a turd." While a bit harsh..true.
I do not subscribe to the marketing theory that impressions + lots of them = buying stuff. I know this is not a nice thing to say, as I do not wish to offend or make redundant marketing execs with fancy lexicons that sound like cotton candy to me. It is a simple fact for me and most everyone I talk to.
I buy things because my friends tell me they recommend them OR there's a fairly low risk way to try something [signing up for newsletters etc don't work for me.
As my proof...money I have spent on various social networks etc;
- facebook = 0
- myspace - = 0
- linkedin.com = 0
- music = friend recommendation & pandora.com)
- games = friends recommendation
- bebo = 0
- ning = 0
- online dating = 0
- amieST - .49 cents
- classmates.com = 0 [although I'd consider it if their site was better - more features]
- flickr and fotolog = 0
- google products = use them/love them/don't pay for them
- imeem = 0
I try everything; however, I am sure you get the point.
A story of my friend George [let's call him George, cuz that is his name]. He is the CTO of a tech company. He has never been enticed into buying anything from all the various efforts until recently. He bought concert tickets to a band he likes...online.
Why did George buy? Because George likes the band, and chose to follow the band's updates on where they would be performing. OK, marketing did not prompt this purchase...the band reaching out to fans did. Sorry marketing...
So, let's pretend I am Nike [as a sample of a large, pretty cool company] or any XYZ product wishing to apply their marketing dollars in a more useful way. I am a large retail provider, and the OFFline world is deteriorating the 'value' I, as Nike receive, from my marketing spend. What would you do?
If you were were Ashton fKutcher [read this month's Wired magazine], you would use experiential marketing combined with social networks or viral reach. I like his thoughts that when people don't set out to make money, it scares him. Me too. If you don't know how you'll make money from it...why are you doing it? I have the same feelings when product development folks develop what THEY think is cool versus simply engaging with their audience...but that's for another day.
If I were Nike, I would make this very simple...and GIVE AWAY cool online stuff! Design cool stuff that is tied to some simple premises. For example...
- advertised to sites within facebook: put our logo or super coolio thingy that we designed (or better yet, let you create a custom design thingy from the cool app we made for engaging fun) for three days and automatically get a retail coupon for x% off whatever the person wants in the store...period. ANYthing...the person wants. YUP, get someone to walk into the store and buy one thing and MAYBE another one. If Nike did this right now...I'd be buying new running shoes in a few days!
- yes, I said sites within facebook or pick your flavour social network. For example, new mobile phone offers across linkedin.com work just dandy!
- CUSTOMISE that offer to that site's users. OH, and marketing folks...do not kill yourself trying to be clever. Just ask your partner what would be cool.
This applies to ANYthing [almost]. Did I mention that I, as a linkedin.com user would like unique offers that are for me...as an added value since I pay a subscription each month?
How does a company make this work?
- Forget the 'message' you wish to send, and design for the end user. If it is a virtual pair of shoes, make them cool...and able to have the colours changed etc. If it is a tee shirt [see shoes]. In other words, put your user first.
- Make the offer flexible. Face it, you do not currently have enough information to create targeted campaigns, so instead of even trying...give a percentage off ANYthing in the store. Period...end of story. Oh, and did I mention that this is simple?
On the back end, track everything. Nike, you want to know how your money was spent and if it worked. Right?! Use PIN codes tied to each individual offer, promotion or social site from which your offer originates (oh, did I mention that EVERY offer needs to be able to be forwarded on while still tracking origination point).
Example (for the sake of fun): Nike pays Habbo Hotel 25k dollars to allow Nike to GIFT a super-cool tee-shirt to their users, which is tied to a special promotional offer.
1. Habbo Hotel gets revenue.
2. Nike gets users checking out their stuff and hopefully walking into retail outlets to buy.
3. User gets a free super-cool tee shirt thingy that they can keep, pass along or throw away...and still receive the offer.
To do it right...
- PIN codes would be recognised through both Nike's billing and POS network for reporting
- Marketing would create unique promotions by site and not by Nike product
- Marketing would then be able to measure foot traffic and cross/up-sell at the register
- Marketing would know which social networks are BUYERS or RECOMMENDER'S...as each is important.
- Marketing's ROI analysis would be we spent X and it yielded Y
BECAUSE...after you do this...you will know if anyone liked what you did...if anyone actually passed it along and if your marketing team knows the individual audiences by 'site.'
Yes...the devil is in the details...and I purposely did not create a design doc around this, although I could. I would also enhance the features into some existing applications that are out there today, who monetise virtual networks...such as Live Gamer, Play Span, Fat Foogoo and Velocity.
Thanks for reading!
All the best
Jamy
I do not trust marketing...I trust my friends! Friends tell the truth...and mass marketing is often over-hyped lies. If you do not believe me, as any marketing exec who finds herself at a company with poor product development...and lasts about fourteen [14] months in the job. As my baseball coach used to say, "you can not polish a turd." While a bit harsh..true.
I do not subscribe to the marketing theory that impressions + lots of them = buying stuff. I know this is not a nice thing to say, as I do not wish to offend or make redundant marketing execs with fancy lexicons that sound like cotton candy to me. It is a simple fact for me and most everyone I talk to.
I buy things because my friends tell me they recommend them OR there's a fairly low risk way to try something [signing up for newsletters etc don't work for me.
As my proof...money I have spent on various social networks etc;
- facebook = 0
- myspace - = 0
- linkedin.com = 0
- music = friend recommendation & pandora.com)
- games = friends recommendation
- bebo = 0
- ning = 0
- online dating = 0
- amieST - .49 cents
- classmates.com = 0 [although I'd consider it if their site was better - more features]
- flickr and fotolog = 0
- google products = use them/love them/don't pay for them
- imeem = 0
I try everything; however, I am sure you get the point.
A story of my friend George [let's call him George, cuz that is his name]. He is the CTO of a tech company. He has never been enticed into buying anything from all the various efforts until recently. He bought concert tickets to a band he likes...online.
Why did George buy? Because George likes the band, and chose to follow the band's updates on where they would be performing. OK, marketing did not prompt this purchase...the band reaching out to fans did. Sorry marketing...
So, let's pretend I am Nike [as a sample of a large, pretty cool company] or any XYZ product wishing to apply their marketing dollars in a more useful way. I am a large retail provider, and the OFFline world is deteriorating the 'value' I, as Nike receive, from my marketing spend. What would you do?
If you were were Ashton fKutcher [read this month's Wired magazine], you would use experiential marketing combined with social networks or viral reach. I like his thoughts that when people don't set out to make money, it scares him. Me too. If you don't know how you'll make money from it...why are you doing it? I have the same feelings when product development folks develop what THEY think is cool versus simply engaging with their audience...but that's for another day.
If I were Nike, I would make this very simple...and GIVE AWAY cool online stuff! Design cool stuff that is tied to some simple premises. For example...
- advertised to sites within facebook: put our logo or super coolio thingy that we designed (or better yet, let you create a custom design thingy from the cool app we made for engaging fun) for three days and automatically get a retail coupon for x% off whatever the person wants in the store...period. ANYthing...the person wants. YUP, get someone to walk into the store and buy one thing and MAYBE another one. If Nike did this right now...I'd be buying new running shoes in a few days!
- yes, I said sites within facebook or pick your flavour social network. For example, new mobile phone offers across linkedin.com work just dandy!
- CUSTOMISE that offer to that site's users. OH, and marketing folks...do not kill yourself trying to be clever. Just ask your partner what would be cool.
This applies to ANYthing [almost]. Did I mention that I, as a linkedin.com user would like unique offers that are for me...as an added value since I pay a subscription each month?
How does a company make this work?
- Forget the 'message' you wish to send, and design for the end user. If it is a virtual pair of shoes, make them cool...and able to have the colours changed etc. If it is a tee shirt [see shoes]. In other words, put your user first.
- Make the offer flexible. Face it, you do not currently have enough information to create targeted campaigns, so instead of even trying...give a percentage off ANYthing in the store. Period...end of story. Oh, and did I mention that this is simple?
On the back end, track everything. Nike, you want to know how your money was spent and if it worked. Right?! Use PIN codes tied to each individual offer, promotion or social site from which your offer originates (oh, did I mention that EVERY offer needs to be able to be forwarded on while still tracking origination point).
Example (for the sake of fun): Nike pays Habbo Hotel 25k dollars to allow Nike to GIFT a super-cool tee-shirt to their users, which is tied to a special promotional offer.
1. Habbo Hotel gets revenue.
2. Nike gets users checking out their stuff and hopefully walking into retail outlets to buy.
3. User gets a free super-cool tee shirt thingy that they can keep, pass along or throw away...and still receive the offer.
To do it right...
- PIN codes would be recognised through both Nike's billing and POS network for reporting
- Marketing would create unique promotions by site and not by Nike product
- Marketing would then be able to measure foot traffic and cross/up-sell at the register
- Marketing would know which social networks are BUYERS or RECOMMENDER'S...as each is important.
- Marketing's ROI analysis would be we spent X and it yielded Y
BECAUSE...after you do this...you will know if anyone liked what you did...if anyone actually passed it along and if your marketing team knows the individual audiences by 'site.'
Yes...the devil is in the details...and I purposely did not create a design doc around this, although I could. I would also enhance the features into some existing applications that are out there today, who monetise virtual networks...such as Live Gamer, Play Span, Fat Foogoo and Velocity.
Thanks for reading!
All the best
Jamy
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