Don't be cool for cool's sake
Jon Steel - ADMAP April 2010
In 1963, J. Walter Thompson advertising veteran James Webb Young wrote, in How to Become an Advertising Man, “The true Advertising Man … is he who has the knowledge, skills, experience and insights to advise advertisers how best to use advertising to accomplish their objectives.”
If we can interpret the word 'advertising' to include all the forms of marketing communication now available to us, this definition of a job well done remains pertinent almost fifty years on. Good agencies have always worked closely with clients to set the right objectives, and have then taken responsibility for defining and navigating the best route to achieving them.
I'd be surprised if that doesn't seem blindingly obvious to most of the readers of this magazine, whose interests and professional reputations revolve around the pursuit of effectiveness. Unfortunately, as I look around the industry, I fear that not enough work is created that way.
The first problem is that too often the objectives that are being pursued are the wrong ones. With the accountability mindset that inevitably accompanies any economic downturn, too many senior clients and agencies are more concerned with survival than achievement, and decisions tend to be made in the pursuit of efficiency rather than effectiveness. With the average longevity of a CMO now even shorter than that of a football manager, it's perhaps not surprising that many choices are made on the basis of their measurability, rather than their ability to move the business forward.
If you were a first-time visitor from Mars and you happened to drop into a marketing meeting somewhere in the United States, you might assume that marketing people do nothing but talk about "TGIF."
That's Twitter, Google, the internet and Facebook.
There's no question these four revolutionary developments have forever changed the marketing function. Word-of-mouth has now become word of finger.
A key difference: Word-of-mouth leaves an invisible trail in the ether. Word-of-finger leaves an electronic trail on the internet.
In the past, nobody paid much attention to word of mouth, even though by some estimates it accounted for a majority of brand impressions. Today, however, the visibility of word of finger has mesmerized the marketing world.
But will the skillful use of TGIF make you a good marketing manager? I think not. TGIF is only half the story.
Linens 'N Things didn't go bankrupt because it didn't make effective use of Twitter. It went bankrupt because it was a knockoff of Bed Bath & Beyond without a unique identity.
DHL didn't pull out of the U.S. market because it didn't buy enough AdWords from Google. It pulled out of the U.S. market because it violated a basic law of marketing, the law of duality. DHL was the No. 3 brand in a category dominated by UPS and FedEx.
Kmart didn't go bankrupt because it couldn't figure out how to use the internet to promote the brand. It went bankrupt because it was squeezed between Walmart at the low end of the mass merchandiser category and Target at the high end.
Coca-Cola didn't fail to build a leading energy-drink brand in three tries (KMX, Full Throttle and Tab) because it forgot to use Facebook to ignite the brands. It failed to build a leading energy-drink brand because it waited too long after the launch of Red Bull.
Roy Williams is the author of the 3 best selling "Wizard of Ads" marketing books and President of Roy Williams Marketing in Austin, Texas. Visit the Wizard of Ads website.
Roy on Social Media...
How to Spot Social-Media Snake Oil
A Few Tips for Spotting It in the Wild Posted by David Armano in Advertising Age 9-16-09
Recently my colleague Peter Kim and I found ourselves in close contact with a "social media expert." The problem was this expert was sucking in the feed of my blog without permission and attribution and had more holes in his resume than a slice of Swiss cheese. So how do you separate the social-media snake oil from the vinegar? It's not easy, but here's a few pointers:
1. My last job was selling junk bonds. As I mentioned in social media's dirty little secrets, there's a bandwagon to be jumped on. As you do background checks around the people you choose to partner with in social business, you should be able to see ties from the past to what they are doing now. Has this person been working in community- or internet-related fields? That's a good sign. Was this person selling pre-paid calling cards? Maybe not so good. There are no hard rules here, but some previous positions transfer better than others. Use common sense.
2. I'm an expert, just see the testimonials. Actually there really isn't anything wrong with self-identifying yourself as an expert in a field or including things people said about you. However, it's up to you to leverage tools like Google, LinkedIn, etc., to see what others have said or investigate further -- don't just take them at their word.
3. I can guarantee you X number of followers. Anyone who starts their pitch by promising friends, followers, or even positive word of mouth is suspicious. This tells you they're looking to "sell you" a quick fix, which is probably in response to people placing such a big emphasis on metrics such as this. A social way of doing business is often a slow burn with complex problems that need to be addressed. There are no silver bullets in an industry built on connections, relationships and the direct empowerment of citizens.
4. Social media will save you. No it won't. Anyone framing social media as the solution to the world's problems is either drinking Koolaid or looking to make a buck. That said, the prospect of doing business in a socially calibrated fashion is bigger than a new communication channel, it's a shift that's causing changes. However, never confuse shift with salvation.
5. Build it and they will socialize. Be wary of anyone selling a point solution that promises instant social interactions, conversations, collaboration, etc. Many businesses fail because they were built at the wrong time, in the wrong place or with the wrong tools. Any respectable practitioner will try to investigate where fertile ground is before building anything -- and will tell you if there isn't any.
Bottom line, there's unfortunately a short-term business model for hucksters out to make a buck at your expense. That's because the field is still young and there isn't much that's been established -- it's a bit of a Wild West scenario. This, ironically, is the period in time when the snake oil salesmen thrived.
235 Million Listen to Radio Every Week
Radio reaches more than 235 million persons age 12+ over the course of a typical week, according to the RADAR 102 National Radio Listening Report which releases 9/21. Since the December 2007 RADAR 95 report, the RADAR national radio listening estimates and network radio audience reports have been based on PPM respondents from within commercialized PPM markets and on diary respondents from the balance of the United States. The combination of PPM and diary respondents have shown more listeners to radio over the course of a week versus the 2007 RADAR listening reports which were based on diary respondents alone.
As additional radio markets transition to electronic measurement, total radio reach is revealed to be larger than in previous surveys. Listening to RADAR Network Affiliate stations has also risen year over year. Over the course of a typical week, more than 214 million persons age 12 and older tune to the more than 7,700 RADAR Network Affiliated stations, up from 210 million listeners one year ago in RADAR 98.
Radio reaches 92% of persons 12+ each week, despite the adoption of MP3 players and the growth of Internet-only stations. Even 90% of the youngest radio audience, teens ages 12-17, most accustomed to using new technologies and forms of media, continue to tune in each week. Network radio also reaches nearly 85% of the ad elusive and media multi-taskers Adults 18-34.
The diversity of formats in radio attracts advertiser-coveted demographics in both Black Non-Hispanic and Hispanic persons.
• 92% of Black Non-Hispanic persons and 93% of Hispanic persons, age 12 and older tune into radio over the course of a week.
• Radio reaches about 93% of both Black Non-Hispanics and Hispanics age 18-49 over the course of a week.
• Network affiliated stations reach 89% of Black Non-Hispanic persons, and 81% of Hispanic persons, age 12 and older.
Radio Reaches the Educated and Affluent
Radio reaches 95% of college graduates ages 25-54. 95% of adults 25-54 with a college degree and an annual income of $50,000 or more tune into radio over the course of a week.
Network affiliated stations reach nearly 86% of college graduates ages 18-49 with a household income of $75,000 or more. All radio stations reach close to 95% of this age group.
Continuing the sample increase initiative, the sample size for RADAR 102 is now composed of 345,230 respondents.
www.rbr.com
33 Rules
How far out do you plan your advertising? Do you have a one year plan? A five year plan? A ten year plan? (The Japanese have a national growth plan that extends for hundreds of years!) At minimum, a local advertiser should have a long term, flexible budget, a Unique Selling Proposition or Preemptive Advantage, and a commitment to at least a 12 month advertising plan.
Short term results can occasionally occur as a result of a heavy schedule of ads in a short period of time. You may get a good turnout for a special event, but you can't count on any kind of consistent results with short term media schedules. Using the media for infrequent, short term advertising
schedules will not get you the same growth benefits you'll get when you advertise with consistency, frequency and impact. If you advertise from week to week, idea to idea, promotion to promotion, you're usually going to end up disappointed.
You might want to begin to look at advertising the same way you looked at your business when you first started it. You didn't say "let's try this business for a month to see how it works," as is often said about advertising schedules. Your commitment to your business was far greater than that.
Ultimately, the media should be used as vehicles for long-term growth, requiring a long-term commitment. Not having an accountable advertising plan, and not staying with that plan, has been a primary reason for failures of local businesses. Most businesses back off or stop their advertising when sales get slow, then when sales pick up they begin to advertise again. While that may be financially convenient, it can be devastating to a plan for strong, steady growth.
Don't be cool for cool's sake
Radio reaches more than 235 million persons age 12+ over the course of a typical week, according to the RADAR 102 National Radio Listening Report which releases 9/21. Since the December 2007 RADAR 95 report, the RADAR national radio listening estimates and network radio audience reports have been based on PPM respondents from within commercialized PPM markets and on diary respondents from the balance of the United States. The combination of PPM and diary respondents have shown more listeners to radio over the course of a week versus the 2007 RADAR listening reports which were based on diary respondents alone.
How far out do you plan your advertising? Do you have a one year plan? A five year plan? A ten year plan? (The Japanese have a national growth plan that extends for hundreds of years!) At minimum, a local advertiser should have a long term, flexible budget, a Unique Selling Proposition or Preemptive Advantage, and a commitment to at least a 12 month advertising plan.